MCU Phase 4: Upcoming Marvel Movies and Their Release Dates

MCU Phase 4: Upcoming Marvel Movies and Their Release Dates

While Avengers Endgame might have felt like the ultimate finale to Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was actually Spider-Man: Far from Home that got the last word. It helped us recover from the emotional treadmill of Endgame with some light humour and, well, more emotion. But, now that Phase 3 is officially done, what can we expect from Marvel Phase 4?

Well, quite a lot, actually. As you’ve probably noticed over the course of the 23 movies we’ve had so far, Marvel likes to plan ahead. And, Marvel Studios head, Kevin Feige, recently pulled a Bond-villain-style unveiling of his entire plan for both Phase 4 and Phase 5 at San Diego Comic Con. 

OK, so we’re almost at the first sub-heading, which we’re guessing is where you’ll start reading. So, we’ll stop boosting our word count and start dishing the deets on the Marvel Phase 4 movies that you can expect, and when you can expect them!

Marvel Phase 4 Movies Release Dates

In a nutshell, here’s the info you’re looking for (with the intensity of Thanos hunting the Infinity Stones). But, stick around (and keep scrolling). We’re going to discuss each one individually!

  • Black Widow – 1 May 2020
  • The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Autumn 2020 (Disney+)
  • The Eternals – 6 November 2020
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – 12 February 2021
  • WandaVision - Spring 2021 (Disney+)
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – 7 May 2021
  • Loki - Spring 2021 (Disney+)
  • What If...? - Spring 2021 (Disney+)
  • Third Spider-Man Film – 16 July 2021
  • Hawkeye - Autumn 2021 (Disney+)
  • Thor: Love and Thunder – 6 November 2021

Black Widow: 1 May 2020

Kicking off Phase 4 will be Black Widow. ‘But, she totally jumped off that cliff in Endgame,’ we hear you shout. Well, this is a prequel. Yep, much like van Gogh, she’s only being honoured after death. But, we’ll take it. Especially if it means that we get to see Natasha Romanoff putting boot to bottom again.

We know that Scarlett Johannson was only interested in doing this film if it was done right. She wanted to delve deeper into the mystery of Black Widow than any film had before. Not hard, really, she’s been left on the sidelines and we’ve gone about as deep as a puddle.

But, that will all be rectified in 2020 when we get what looks like a very gritty, Bourne-style standalone. #psyched

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Autumn 2020 (Disney+)

What? The MCU on TV? Yeah, that’s happening. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be the first series to feature in the MCU, playing much more of an active role than previous series (like Agents of SHIELD) have done.

What’s in store for Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes? Well, that we don’t know. But, we do know that Sam was given Steve Rogers’ shield and may well be the new Captain America. This is a great opportunity for him to refine his shield-throwing skills before he steps up to the big leagues as Cap in the next Avengers instalment.

We also know that Daniel Brühl will return as Zemo, this time rocking the stylish purple face beanie that the comic book version is known for. It’s what all the villains will be seen in next autumn. Except, it isn’t. Just the one, really. 

The Eternals: 6 November 2020

We haven’t exactly heard an awful lot about the Eternals in the past. But, then again, the Guardians of the Galaxy weren’t stealing any of Spider-Man’s limelight before they hit the big screen, and look at them now. Who doesn’t want a pet raccoon named Rocket?

OK, so, what’s The Eternals all about? Well, they’re a race of immortal aliens who are sent to Earth to defend it against the Deviants, who are a bunch of douches who like to break things. Will the human race be happy about this, or will they be like, ‘Yeah thanks, but we can look after ourselves. We’re empowered and stuff’? We’ll have to wait until November 2020 to find out.

The Eternals will star super-famous people like Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harrington, and Don Lee (who you’ll totally know if you’ve spent much time in South Korea).

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: 12 February 2021

This is exciting. For two reasons. Firstly, Shang-Chi is the first Asian superhero to enter the MCU. So, yay diversity. Also, Shang-Chi will take on the Mandarin! That’s huge news for anyone who was disappointed that Iron Man’s long-time comic book foe was brought to film as a bumbling tool whose greatest power was his ability to stink-out a bathroom.

Turns out, the Mandarin from Iron Man 3 was an imposter and the real Mandarin will do battle with Shang-Chi in February of 2021. Comic book fans will know that the Mandarin has ten magical rings that control matter, time, space, light, and more. Are we looking at the new Infinity Stones?

WandaVision: Spring 2021 (Disney+)

Time for the second Disney+ series of Phase 4: WandaVision. As you may have guessed, this one will deal with Wanda and Vision and their life post-Endgame, but with a serious ‘50s vibe.

We don’t know an awful lot about this, but we’re sure that the ‘50s look is just a veneer for something dark lurking underneath, and they’ll be grappling with more than faulty lawnmowers and weak lunchtime martinis.  

We also know that this series will feature a grown-up Monica Rambeau, who we last saw as a kid in Captain Marvel. We’ll also welcome back Kat Dennings, who last played Darcy in Thor: The Dark World, and Randall Park, who you’ll remember as Agent Woo from Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: 7 May 2021

With Marvel’s series tying into its combined universe, we’ll see WandaVision getting as mixed up in the next Doctor Strange movie as roommates’ washing. And, speaking of the next Doctor Strange movie, it’s this: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Again, it’s pretty far down the road, so we know about as much as that friend of yours who never knows what’s going on. But, word on the street is that this is the first true horror movie to enter the MCU canon. The good doctor explores the multiverse and things get scarier than a porta-potty at a summer festival. Well, maybe not that scary. But, still pretty bad.  

Loki: Spring 2021 (Disney+)

Sure, Loki bought it at the hands of Thanos in Avengers Infinity War. But, he totally nabbed the Tesseract in Avengers Endgame when Tony’s plan didn’t quite work out and he took a Hulk to the face. So, the 2012 version of Loki is out there, mischiefing all over the place. And, that’s likely what we’ll be seeing a lot of in Loki, the series. This also opens him up to future MCU appearances, where he’ll have no memory of making up with Thor and, like, dying… because everything that ‘happened’ after 2012 actually didn’t happen to this dude.

What If...?: Spring 2021 (Disney+)

Um… a part of the MCU that doesn’t actually fit into the overall timeline? And is animated? ‘Why the heck not?’ we ask, And, ‘What If?’ Marvel asks.

This series uses a similar style as seen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and is going to explore alternate realities in which things went the way of a first date and didn’t exactly work out as planned. What if Peggy Carter was administered the Super Soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers? Or, what if Captain America was actually a zombie? We’ll find out in the spring of 2021. And, with Doctor Strange introducing the Multiverse of Madness earlier that year, a multiverse might be a great way to explain how all these strange scenarios could have happened.

Spider-Man 3: 16 July 2021

For anyone who doubted that Tom Holland made a good Spider-Man, the events of 2019 should be enough to prove that he deserves the role. Just as it looked like Spidey was going to be ejected from the MCU, the dude showed the scrappiness of a Jack Russell and fought to keep the character swinging harder than the ‘60s. The result: Spider-Man 3 (actual title still unknown) will crawl across screens on the 16th of July 2021.

Details on the storyline are harder to spot than Mysterio’s invisible drones. But, since Spider-Man: Far from Home ended with J. Jonah Jameson outing Peter Parker as Spider-Man, there could be some sort of manhunt happening alongside the major villain fight.

Hawkeye: Autumn 2021 (Disney+)

Like Black Widow, Hawkeye is another character that was introduced way back in Phase 1, and was part of the original Avengers, but still doesn’t have a standalone movie. But all that is going to change in Phase 4. Well, a series is close enough.

But, the question is, does Hawkeye have enough in his quiver to be a main character? After all, in the Avengers series, he always seemed a bit like that kid your mum made you play with so he wouldn’t feel left out.   

But, when you think about it, Hawkeye is awesome. Who else would have the minerals to face intergalactic threats armed only with a bow and arrow? Plus, if Hawkeye, the series, is anything like the Hawkeye comic book series by Matt Fraction and David Aja (and others), then it’s sure to be a hard-hitting, gritty masterpiece that proves Hawkeye, the character, is not to be messed with.  

Thor: Love and Thunder: 6 November 2021

So, even though Thor: Love and Thunder is right at the tail end of MCU Phase 4, we actually know more about this one than many of the other productions in the phase. Most notably… Thor’s on-screen version is going to follow in the inky footsteps of the comic and become the Goddess of Thunder!

Yep, that’s right. Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster is going to step into Thor’s staticy shoes and hold the mighty hammer, Molsfajkscb. No. M$%£^&$. Nope again. Mjölnir! Yeah, that’s the one.

We know that Tessa Thompson will be back as Valkyrie and Taika Waititi is set to direct. Plus, word on the Bifrost is that Christian Bale will be making an appearance. Awesome news for everyone but the on-set assistants.