It might be hard to keep Marvel's upcoming movie and TV slate straight — it's a lot to absorb, we know, but the biggest news in recent memory is surely that Robert Downey, Jr. himself is returning to the MCU. No, not as Tony Stark, but rather as one of the most anticipated Marvel villains — Doctor Doom!
How the former Iron Man could now be the Fantastic Four's greatest villain remains unclear at the moment, but we do know that he will be the centerpiece of the next Avengers movie: Avengers: Doomsday.
Until we know more, all we can do is watch our newsfeeds and wait, and hope, and speculate about what's next for Marvel. Hey, that's how it works for us nerds! We've done our best to wrangle and rein in all of the many MCU movie and TV shows that are in the works in one easy place for you to reference and learn about what's next. From the movies to the Disney+ shows, here's a quick rundown of everything on the MCU horizon.
Come join us in the Multiverse and click on through the slideshow below for a glimpse (or read on for more)…
And for even more on what to expect from Marvel in 2024, including comics and games, follow the link!
Marvel Phase 5 Movies/TV Shows and Beyond: 2024 Release Dates
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show
For those keeping track, here's the full lineup of upcoming Marvel movies and shows:
- What If…? Season 3 (December 22, 2024)
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man – Formerly Spider-Man: Freshman Year (January 25, 2025)
- Captain America: Brave New World (February 14, 2025)
- Daredevil: Born Again (March 4, 2025)
- Thunderbolts* (May 2, 2025)
- Ironheart (June 24, 2025)
- The Fantastic 4: First Steps (July 25, 2025)
- Eyes of Wakanda Series (August 6, 2025)
- Marvel Zombies (October 2025)
- Wonder Man (December 2025)
- Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026)
- Spider-Man 4 (July 24, 2026)
- Untitled Vision Series (2026)
- Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7, 2027)
- Blade (Date TBD)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2 (Date TBD)
- Armor Wars (Date TBD)
- X-Men '97: Season 2 (Date TBD)
Here are the most definite Marvel movies and shows in the MCU's Multiverse Saga that are currently in the works:
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man – Formerly Spider-Man: Freshman Year (January 25, 2025)
The Spider-Man Movies in (Chronological) Order
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (formerly titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year) is an upcoming animated series that "follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man in the MCU, with a journey unlike we've ever seen and a style that celebrates the character’s early comic book roots." It is yet unclear if Tom Holland will be reprising his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in this series, but it is known that Jeff Trammel will serve as both executive producer and head writer.
The series is set to arrive on Disney+ in 2025 and will feature Charlie Cox's Daredevil, Dr. Octavius, Chameleon, Speed Demon, Scorpion, Butane the Pyromaniac, Harry Osborn, and Amadeus Cho.
It has also been confirmed that a second season of the show is also in the works.
Captain America: Brave New World (February 14, 2025)
The same day The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's final episode debuted, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that a fourth Captain America movie was in the works with director Julius Onah and showrunner Malcolm Spellman co-writing the screenplay with TFATWS staff writer Dalan Musson.
Since then, and several release date changes, it has been officially confirmed that Captain America: Brave New World (formerly subtitled New World Order) will be released in theaters on February 14, 2025, and will be the first solo film starring Anthony Mackie as a new take on the iconic hero.
Daredevil: Born Again (March 4, 2025)
In May of 2022, Variety reported that a new Daredevil series was in the works from writer/executive producers Matt Corman and Chris Ord (Covert Affairs). When Charlie Cox reprised his Netflix/Marvel take on Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Vincent D’Onofrio did the same for Kingpin/Wilson Fisk in Hawkeye, it seemed clear that Marvel had plans for those popular versions of the characters to continue under the Marvel Studios banner. Later, Cox also showed up in the DD costume on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2022 it was confirmed Daredevil: Born Again was in the works for Disney+, though reports indicate that it had to stop production due to the Hollywood strikes as well as a creative overhaul.
Thunderbolts* (May 2, 2025)
In June of 2022, reports emerged that director Jake Schreier (Robot & Frank) had been lined up by Marvel to direct a Thunderbolts movie, which has been in development with Black Widow writer Eric Pearson scripting. In the comics, the Thunderbolts are typically portrayed as a team of antiheroes. At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, it was confirmed that Thunderbolts would be released in theaters on July 26, 2024, and will mark the end of Phase 5 of the MCU. And at D23 a couple of months later, Kevin Feige confirmed the following line-up for the film: Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, David Harbour's Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost, Wyatt Russell's US Agent, Olga Kurylenko's Taskmaster, Florence Pugh's Black Widow/Yelena Belova, and Sebastian Stan's Bucky/Winter Soldier. Since then, however, the film was pushed back to December 20, 2024 and most recently to May 2, 2025, and its title was modified to now have an asterisk: Thunderbolts*.
Ironheart (June 24, 2025)
Ironheart will star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart, a "genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man." Williams made her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In the comics, Williams was an engineering prodigy who used Stark's digitized consciousness as an AI to teach her to be the best Ironheart she can be. With the suit, she can fly and shoot repulsor grenades, laser beams, precision missiles, and much more. The series will debut on Disney+ in June 2025.
The Fantastic 4: First Steps (July 25, 2025)
WandaVision's Matt Shakman is helming the film, which we learned at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 is called The Fantastic 4: First Steps. The film will begin Phase 6 of the MCU, kicking off the final journey towards the end of The Multiverse Saga with Avengers: Doomsday (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) and Avengers: Secret Wars. First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing and Joseph Quinn as Human Torch. We also now know that Robert Downey, Jr. will be playing Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, though it is unclear if he will appear in The Fantastic 4: First Steps. (But come on, of course he will.)
Marvel Zombies (October 2025)
Following an introduction in the first season of Marvel's What If…?, Marvel Zombies will be a new animated series that "reimagines the Marvel Universe as a new generation of heroes battle against an ever-spreading zombie scourge." The show will be directed by executive producer Bryan Andrews.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, it was revealed that Marvel Zombies will not only feature undead versions of Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Ghost, Abomination, Captain Marvel, and Okoye, but it will also include new heroes that are very much alive like Yelena, Kate Bishop, Red Guardian, Jimmy Woo, Death Dealer, Shang-Chi, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. The series will hit Disney+ just in time for Halloween 2025.
Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026)
The particulars of this film have been in flux since Marvel has parted ways with Jonathan Majors in the wake of his being found guilty of assault and harassment. Will his character, Kang the Conqueror, continue to appear in some way? Originally called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, we learned at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 that the next Avengers film is now called Avengers: Doomsday, and it will feature the return of Robert Downey, Jr. himself as Doctor Doom (somehow)! Avengers: Secret Wars will bring an end to The Multiverse Saga and Phase 6 of the MCU a year later.
Avengers 5 will be released in theaters on May 1, 2026.
Spider-Man 4 (July 24, 2026)
Tom Holland confirmed he's donning the red and blue tights once again for a fourth live-action Spider-Man movie set in the MCU. The sequel will begin filming in Summer 2025 for a July 2026 release. Shang-Chi's Destin Daniel Cretton is directing this time around. We don't know much about the plot of the fourth movie yet, though Holland teased that the latest script "really lit a fire in me."
Untitled Vision Series
Deadline reported in October, 2022, that a WandaVision spin-off called Vision Quest was in the works with a writers room opening up. The possibility of Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) showing up on the Vision show was not ruled out in the report. Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas will oversee the Paul Bettany-led series, which is now expected to release in 2026.
Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7, 2027)
Avengers: Secret Wars will mark the end of both Phase 6 of the MCU and the entire Multiverse Saga that encompasses Phases 4, 5, and 6. It will arrive almost exactly a year after Avengers: Doomsday on May 7, 2027. It will also be the big screen adaptation of the beloved Secret Wars comic run that saw the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men team up to stop an unimaginable threat.
Blade (Date TBD)
Blade will be returning to the big screen, starring Mahershala Ali. Besides a quick voice cameo in Eternals, we have yet to learn anything more about Ali's Blade. Marvel originally revealed a November 3, 2023 release date at SDCC 2022. Since then, however, the film has pushed back to February 14, 2025, as production reportedly halted due to Ali's dissatisfaction with the script and the departure of director Bassam Tariq. The date then shifted to November 7, 2025, and most recently the film was reported to be taken off the release calendar.
X-Men '97: Season 2 (Date TBD)
The first season of X-Men '97, the revival of the original X-Men: The Animated Series from the 1990s, continued right where that storyline left off. Original voice actors from the first show returned to their characters, including Wolverine's Cal Dodd, Rogue's Lenore Zann, Beast's George Buza, and more. The show was well-received by fans and will be back for at least two more seasons, though it's currently unknown when that may be.
Marvel Movies and TV Shows Released in 2023
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17, 2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)
- Secret Invasion (June 21, 2023)
- Loki, Season 2 (October 5, 2023)
- The Marvels (November 10, 2023)
- Marvel's What If…?, Season 2 (December 22, 2023)
Note: This story was updated on 10/30/2024. It was originally posted on 7/29/2021.
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.