Only two short years after Marvel Studios kicked off Phase 4 of the MCU, it’s already time to talk about Phase 5.
The Marvel team took San Diego Comic-Con 2022 by storm, shocking fans with one new announcement after another about where the franchise is going. This included setting an end date for Phase 4, laying out everything in Phase 5, teasing where Phase 6 starts and ends, and even grouping it all together in what is now known as The Multiverse Saga.
After She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever close out Phase 4, six movies and six Disney+ shows will push Phase 5 forward between early 2023 and mid-2024. But how do the entries in this new slate stack up against one another in terms of anticipation and excitement?
The Direct has formed a new ranking to help answer that very question, with some exciting results ahead on all fronts.
12.) Echo (Summer 2023)
Following her introduction as an antagonist in 2021's Hawkeye, Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez will continue her own solo story as a hero in next summer's Echo. This show will unveil Maya's origin while expanding on her Native American heritage, and with rumors of Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin joining the case, this series will tie in perfectly with Echo's roots as a Daredevil supporting character.
Check out Marvel's first description of the show that came with the first official picture of Cox in action from May 2022.
11.) Agatha: Coven of Chaos (Winter 2023/2024)
Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness moves from her immensely successful run in 2021's WandaVision to her own solo Disney+ series, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, in late 2023 and early 2024. Whether this story details Agatha's life pre-Westview or after her battle with the Scarlet Witch, Hahn will be ready to take her own MCU spotlight, especially if another Emmy-winning musical number is included.
The Direct's exclusive chat with WandaVision's Julian Hilliard revealed his hopes to join Hahn in this new solo outing.
10.) Ironheart (Fall 2023)
Less than a year after her MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dominique Thorne will reprise her role as Riri Williams in Ironheart. The plot details behind Riri's story in both projects remain under wraps for the foreseeable future, but she has ambitions to become the world's preeminent weapons and tech expert after Tony Stark's death in Avengers: Endgame.
Ironheart is currently in the early stages of filming, and the first set photos recently came online showing Thorne in action.
9.) Blade (November 3, 2023)
After first being announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Blade officially had its release date set for November 3, 2023 at this year's event. Mahershala Ali is set to embody Marvel's half-vampire demon hunter after a voice cameo in 2021's Eternals, and he'll have Delroy Lindo, Milan Ray, and Aaron Pierre at his side, with Bassam Tariq directing and Stacy Osei-Kuffor writing the script.
The start of filming was recently delayed until October 2022, about 13 months ahead of its 2023 release.
8.) Thunderbolts (July 26, 2024)
To close out Phase 5, Marvel will bring together its first official team of anti-heroes with Jake Schreier's Thunderbolts coming in Summer 2024. Schreier will team up with Black Widow head writer Eric Pearson as the script goes into development, but there are no public details on who will actually comprise the MCU's Thunderbolts or what comic story the movie will adapt.
In spite of that, US Agent actor Wyatt Russell recently hinted that he "imagine[s] that there’s something in there for [him]."
7.) The Marvels (July 28, 2023)
The sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel will throw Brie Larson's Carol Danvers into a wild cosmic adventure alongside Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan and Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau. Following the final episode of Ms. Marvel on Disney+, Carol now finds herself in Kamala's bedroom after Kamala was transported to space, making for an interesting mystery to solve before the three leading heroes team up together.
Take a look at Ms. Marvel showrunner Bisha K. Ali's discussion about the show's shocking post-credits scene featuring Captain Marvel.
6.) Secret Invasion (Spring 2023)
Secret Invasion could become the MCU's biggest and most impactful Disney+ story to date, as Nick Fury and Talos learn about the Skrull invasion infiltrating Earth. Following the events of Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home, the shapeshifting race will be out to conquer a new world in a series that brings one of the best casts in MCU history, including Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke.
Take a look at Cobie Smulders' comments on what to expect from the series during her time at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
5.) Captain America: New World Order (May 3, 2024)
Anthony Mackie will take on his first solo outing in the MCU as Sam Wilson fully embraces his role as Captain America, marking his eighth appearance with Marvel Studios since 2014. While no story details are known yet, this looks to bring yet another political thriller-style story into the Marvel narrative, with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier writer Malcolm Spellman and The Cloverfield Paradox director Julius Onah joining the team.
Although this is Sam Wilson's adventure first and foremost, many are wondering whether Chris Evans could make an appearance as Steve Rogers in some fashion.
4.) Loki Season 2 (Summer 2023)
Tom Hiddleston has the honor of leading the first live-action Season 2 of any MCU Disney+ series to date in Loki, with all of his fellow cast members returning for more. After Jonathan Majors' He Who Remains sent the Multiverse and the "Sacred Timeline" into pure chaos, who knows who and what the God of Mischief will have to deal with next season, or even where and when it will take place?
Check out who recently confirmed their return for Season 2 as a fan-favorite character.
3.) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17, 2023)
After being teased in two solo movies and utilized to save the universe in Avengers: Endgame, the Quantum Realm will finally have its shining moment in Phase 5's first movie. With Kang the Conqueror set to make his first true impact on the franchise after one of his Variants set up the Multiversal chaos in Loki, the Ant-Man crew and the rest of the MCU are about to be in some serious trouble.
Check out how director Peyton Reed teased the cameos that Ant-Man 3 could bring upon its debut.
2.) Daredevil: Born Again (Spring 2024)
Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio finally have the opportunity to revisit their iconic roles in the MCU's first Disney+ show of 2024 in Daredevil: Born Again, the top Disney+ entry on this list. Coming with an unprecedented 18-episode first season, the Daredevil vs. Kingpin battle will finally become a reality within the MCU, bringing the first Defenders-centric show into the fold for Marvel Studios.
Check out how some of the stars of Netflix's Daredevil reacted to this groundbreaking announcement.
1.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)
Director James Gunn will bring arguably the biggest MCU project of his career next summer with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Direct's most anticipated Phase 5 project. Chukwudi Iwuji's High Evolutionary will serve as the team's most terrifying villain to date in a movie that brings Rocket's long-awaited backstory and the highly-anticipated debut of Will Poulter's Adam Warlock.
Find out some of what happened in the first trailer for the movie that premiered at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
