Avengers 4 is going to be the end of an era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and while Spider-Man: Far From Home follows shortly after, that's looking more like a Phase 3 epilogue than the start of Marvel Studios' Phase 4 plans. However, things in that respect are finally starting to clear up so we're now taking an in-depth look at everything you should expect from what's coming once 2020 gets here.
With new characters set to receive the spotlight and a lot of long overdue sequels (not to mention a certain merger being on the horizon), there's a lot comic book fans should be very excited about.
Needless to say, we think there's a lot here you'll find of interest here and it's fair to say that Phase 3 could end up being Marvel's best yet. So, to check out this entire breakdown, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button below and then let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
The Release Dates
Before we go any further, let's take a look at all of the release dates Marvel Studios has set for "Untitled Marvel Studios Movies" in Phase 4. None of these have titles attached to them as of right now but we know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will more than likely be released in 2020! So, we have May 1, 2020, July 31, 2020, November 6, 2020, May 7, 2021, July 30, 2021, November 5, 2021, February 18, 2022, May 6, 2022, and July 29, 2022. As you can see, Marvel is sticking to three a year.
The (Mostly) Confirmed Movies
Marvel hasn't officially announced any movies as of yet but there are at least some we know are coming at some point in Phase 4. The first is, of course, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a movie that James Gunn has literally just finished the first draft of the screenplay for. As I mentioned above, that's almost certainly coming in 2020 and will probably end up nabbing that prime May 1st release date.
Also on the horizon and semi-confirmed either by Kevin Feige or the trades are a Black Widow movie, The Eternals, and Black Panther 2. The Marvel Studios President is understandably adamant that Ryan Coogler returns to direct the sequel so that movie's release date very much hinges on when he's ready and if he takes another project in the meantime. As a result, it could land in late 2022 instead.
What About Spider-Man?
Spider-Man: Far From Home will reportedly deal with the fallout from Avengers 4, making this sequel an epilogue to Phase 3 and a prequel to Phase 4. What comes beyond that isn't clear but it's hard to imagine Sony suddenly deciding to pluck the wall-crawler out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially as Spider-Man: Homecoming was such a success and he's now more popular than ever.
Chances are we will end up getting a third Spider-Man movie in Phase 4 and that it will bring Peter Parker's high school journey to an end. What comes beyond that is impossible to say for now, though!
The Most Likely Sequels
Looking at what we know about Phase 4 and using some good old-fashioned common sense, these are the most likely Marvel Studios sequels which will be released between 2020 - 2022. A Doctor Strange follow-up is long overdue and Scott Derrickson has teased on a number of occasions that he could already be working on that and that the film would revolve around the villainous Nightmare.
THOR 4 is another near guarantee, especially as Ragnarok was such a runaway success and a real turning point for a franchise which had never really taken off until that point. Assuming Captain Marvel is a success, more Carol Danvers is almost certainly on the way but an Ant-Man and The Wasp sequel probably won't be a priority seeing as the franchise isn't a massive earner. Instead, I would expect those characters to show up elsewhere before getting their own spotlight sometime in Phase 5.
What's Next For The Avengers
As of right now, the future of Earth's Mightiest Heroes won't become clear until Avengers 4 hits theaters but seeing as the latest instalment of their franchise just hit $2 billion at the worldwide box office, you don't need to be a genius to figure out that these characters are going nowhere. Personally, I think we'll end up getting a West Coast Avengers style movie with T'Challa taking the lead of a team made up of heroes like Ant-Man, Captain Marvel, The Wasp, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man!
More Cosmic Adventures
Both Kevin Feige and James Gunn have made it clear they want to expand the cosmic part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it's the latter who will seemingly be in charge of that. There's a very good chance Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will introduce a lot of new characters who will later receive their own spinoffs, with the original Guardians, Adam Warlock, and Nova among the possibilities.
Whether or not there will be time for them to show up in Phase 4 remains to be seen but it would probably be nearer 2022 than 2020 and if this leads to the MCU's version of Annihilation, that would be very good news for us fans! After all, that sort of crossover could be even bigger than Avengers 4.
A-Force Assemble?
Kevin Feige has promised a much larger focus on female characters moving forward and as we know everyone from Tessa Thompson to Brie Larson and Scarlett Johansson pitched a female-led team-up movie to the Marvel Studios President, this movie has to be somewhere in his head. The demand for it is clear too and so it wouldn't be that surprising for a new team to assemble in place of The Avengers which is made up entirely of women. The question is, who would they end up facing? Hela, perhaps?
About That Merger...
Kevin Feige has made it clear that if Disney does acquire the Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises, we probably won't start seeing them until Phase 5. However, that doesn't mean hints about their existence can't be dropped beforehand and it would be easy for Reed Richards to be namedropped or a news report about youngsters suddenly receiving superpowers (due to the X-Gene suddenly surfacing).
Either way, with it now looking like it will indeed happen, the arrival of characters like Galactus, Wolverine, and Deapdool will change the MCU forever and we can expect that to start in Phase 4.
Captain America's Future
There's a very good chance that Chris Evans will bid farewell to the role of Captain America in Avengers 4 and that obviously leaves the door wide open to someone else then wielding the shield in future.
Bucky and The Falcon are both very likely possibilities and it will be interesting seeing if Marvel Studios decides to have that play out in a solo movie or whatever comes next for The Avengers franchise.
Either way, it's hard to imagine us saying goodbye to the character for good, especially as there's a precedent for someone else taking over as Captain America from Steve Rogers in the comic books.
The Movies We're Not Expecting
When Marvel does eventually unveil its Phase 4 slate, you'd best believe there will be some big surprises. Everything from Power Pack to Young Avengers has been rumoured and all of those characters have some potential on the big screen. I think there may even be movies announced we haven't heard about, regardless of whether that's a solo outing for The Wasp or a Sinister Six spinoff which is basically the MCU version of what Sony had planned for those characters a few years back.
No More Iron Man...Right?
All the signs are pointing to Robert Downey Jr.'s tenure as Iron Man coming to an end and while Kevin Feige once said Marvel would treat its characters like James Bond in terms of recasting, he's since said that some are simply too iconic to replace. Tony Stark is surely among them but while Iron Man 4 is clearly never going to happen, who's to say the hero can't stick around in another capacity?
Rather than killing him off, I think it's far more likely that he could become the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. or something similar, making the odd appearance here and there after retiring from being a superhero. This could also open the door to someone else taking over the Iron Man mantle because as of right now, it looks like War Machine is the most likely candidate and that's not that exciting.
Captain Marvel: The New Face Of The MCU
Assuming the end is nigh for both Captain America and Iron Man, the next logical choice for the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't Thor; it's Captain Marvel! That instantly changes the dynamic of this shared world moving forward and seeing as she's a hero on Earth and in outer space, we could see the scale of Phase 4's adventures expand in some big and unexpected ways between 2020 and 2022.
Personally, I think the overarching story of Phase 4 will be Secret Invasion, especially as the Skrulls are being introduced in Captain Marvel next year. We could even get the Kree/Skrull War but whatever happens, don't be surprised if it's Carol Danvers who's there leading the charge against them.
What do you think is on the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Phase 4? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts on these points and your own in the comments section below.
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