Marvel Phase 5: every upcoming MCU movie and TV show plus known release dates

Each new month seems to bring new problems for Marvel Phase 5. After multiple movies had their launches pushed back earlier this year, now we’re hearing that Loki season 2 will be the final Marvel Disney Plus show of 2023, with delays aplenty for the studio’s forthcoming slate of TV series.

After the largely lackluster reception to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) most recent releases, though, maybe these delays are a good thing. The Disney subsidiary need to refocus its efforts on quality over quantity. Thanks to the writers and actors strikes, plus rumors that Disney wants to reign in how many projects Marvel launches every year, that sounds like it’ll happen, too.

But we digress – you’re here to learn more about Marvel Phase 5’s movies and Disney Plus shows, as well as any confirmed release dates we have. Below, we’ll run you through those and more, including any cast speculation, official trailer releases, and the first snippets of information we know about Marvel Phase 6. Here, then, is everything we know about MCU Phase 5.

Marvel Phase 5: every movie and TV show

Here’s the full lineup for Marvel Phase 5. Due to rumors concerning the aforementioned Disney Plus shows being pushed back, plus Marvel delaying multiple movies again, we don’t know the launch dates for many of these productions. 

Where that’s the case, we’ve labeled such titles “TBC” for now. Additionally, everything after The Marvels is subject to change due to the ongoing strikes. Until Marvel states otherwise, we’ve kept their most recent launch date information as it is.

• Loki season 2 (TV show, October 6, 2023)
• The Marvels (November 10, 2023)
• Echo (TV show, November 29, 2023)
• Deadpool 3 (May 3, 2024)
• Captain America: Brave New World (July 26, 2024)
• Thunderbolts (December 20, 2024)
• Blade (February 14, 2025)
• Agatha: Coven of Chaos (TV show, TBC)
• Armor Wars (movie, TBC)
• Daredevil: Born Again (TV show, TBC)
• Ironheart (TV show, TBC)
• Marvel Zombies (animated TV show, TBC)
• Spider-Man 4 (movie, TBC)
• Spider-Man: Freshman Year (animated TV show, TBC)
• What If…? season 2 (TV show, likely TBC)
• X-Men 97 (animated TV show, TBC)

Marvel Phase 5 movies

The Marvels

Release date: November 10, 2023

The Marvels, whose release date was pushed to late 2023, will see a female superhero-only team up on the big screen for the first time. Well, if you discount the all-female ensemble scene in Avengers: Endgame.

Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers reunites with Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Danvers’ best friend Maria (Lashana Lynch) from 2018’s Captain Marvel. We last saw Rambeau in WandaVision, and, given the duo haven’t crossed path since the ’90s-set Captain Marvel, expect an awkward family-style reunion between them. 

Iman Vellani’s Ms Marvel will also make her MCU movie debut, while Zawe Ashton (Velvet Buzzsaw) will play Dar-Benn, the movie’s villain. Park Seo-joon (Parasite) will portray an as-yet-unnamed character and Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury will also cameo. The ending of Secret Invasion, the extremely underwhelming Fury-fronted TV show, could impact this film.

The Marvels‘ first trailer debuted online in March and was followed by another in late July. This Marvel Phase 5 movie will apparently set a new and surprising MCU film runtime record, too. Lastly, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order (and what movies and TV shows you need to stream) before The Marvels takes flight.

Deadpool 3

Release date: currently May 3, 2024

Deadpool 3, which was halfway through filming before the strikes and has been likened to Midnight Run and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles by director Shawn Levy (via Deadline), is slated to arrive next May.

Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth will be joined by Hugh Jackman, who reprises his iconic role as Wolverine. Joining the pair are The Crown‘s Emma Corrin and Succession‘s Matthew Macfayden, who have reportedly signed on for big roles. 

Rob Delaney’s Peter is returning from Deadpool 2 (per Deadline), while Morena Baccarin and Stefan Kapicic, who played Vanessa and Colossus in Deadpool 1 and 2, are also back (via Deadline). Karan Soni’s Dopinder and Leslie Uggams’ Blind Al (Deadline again), plus Brianna Hildebrand’s Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Shioli Kutsuna’s Yukio (once more via Deadline) are among the cast, too. Charlie Cox’s Daredevil won’t make a surprise appearance and Zazie Beetz’s Domino won’t show up, either (per Decider).

We might see numerous X-Men (per CanWeGetSomeToast) and other at-the-time-owned Fox characters (via The DisInsider), if you believe those leakers. We’ll refrain from revealing those characters here, though.

Other leaks suggest Loki season 2 will have a hand in Deadpool’s MCU arrival, while some say Jackman could portray two versions of Wolverine in a film that’s the X-Men‘s version of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange 2.

Captain America: Brave New World

Release date: currently July 26, 2024

Captain America: Brave New World, which has ties to a shocking Marvel comic series, is currently due out in July 2024.

Anthony Mackie will return as Sam Wilson/the new Cap, while Danny Ramirez and Carl Lumbly reprise their roles as Joaquin Torres and Isaiah Bradley from Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Torres will reportedly suit up as the MCU’s new Falcon, too. Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns/The Leader makes his first MCU appearance since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, while insiders claim Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross is also returning after 15 years away. 

Shira Haas (Unorthodox) will play Israeli superheroine Sabra, who may provide another link to mutants in the MCU, while Xosha Roquemore (Atlanta) has reportedly landed a key role. Professional wrestler Seth Rollins and Undone‘s Rosa Salazar have been spotted on set, with the duo believed to be playing members of the Serpent Society (per Lizzie Hill and MyTimeToShineHello).

Legendary actor Harrison Ford will portray Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, the role held by William Hurt until his death in March 2022. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has since confirmed Ross is the USA’s new President (via Entertainment Weekly (EW)). It’s unclear how or when this’ll happen, however, as President Ritson was still commander-in-chief in Secret Invasion‘s finale.

Thunderbolts

Release date: currently December 20, 2024

Billed as an anti-hero Avengers-style film, Thunderbolts is being helmed by Jake Schreier (director) and Lee Sung Jin (head writer), who created hit Netflix show Beef. Principal photography, which was due to begin in July, was delayed due to the strikes.

Sebastien Stan’s Bucky Barnes will be joined by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) – all four debuted in Black Widow – US Agent (Wyatt Russell) from FATWS, and Ghost (Hannah-John Kamen) from Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross will also feature, while FATWS‘ Baron Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl) could cameo. Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) has reportedly joined the cast (per Variety). Invincible‘s Steven Yeun has joined the Thunderbolts‘ cast, too – and we think he’d be perfect for one particular role.

Blade

Release date: currently February 14, 2025

After his off-screen Eternals cameo, Blade is getting a solo MCU movie. Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective) has rejigged the film’s script after previous writes were made by Beau DeMayo (The Witcher) and Michael Starrbury (When They See Us), who had already treated Watchmen scribe Stacy Osei-Kuffour’s original script. Yann Demange (Lovecraft Country) is Blade‘s new director following Bassam Tariq’s departure. Industry insider DanielRPK says it’ll be R-rated, too.

Mahershala Ali (Green Room) will star as the titular vampire hunter. DanielRPK also suggests Saul Williams (Neptune Frost) has been cast as Jamal Afari, joining Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods) and Joshua Mikel (Ozark). Mia Goth is believed to have signed on to play an iconic Marvel villain as well (DanielRPK, per Blade Updates).

Rumors suggest it’ll be partly set in the 1920s, but it’s unclear how much of its runtime will be devoted to that time period. Don’t expect Kit Harington’s Black Knight (last seen in Eternals) or Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight to cameo, especially now Harrington has said he was never set to appear in Blade.

Armor Wars

Release date: TBC

Originally billed as a TV show, Armor Wars will now be a movie. Yassir Lester (Black Monday) is writing the script, while The Cosmic Circus suggests Damian Marcano (Winning Time) will be its director.

It’ll follow Cheadle’s James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes/War Machine as he pursues criminals who have acquired some old Tony Stark-developed technology. It’s likely to follow up on events in Secret Invasion‘s finale, too, given what we learned about Rhodey (or what fans have fiercely debated about him, anyway) in that series.

The Department of Damage Control (DoDC), seen in projects including She-Hulk, Ms Marvel, and Spider-Man’s MCU trilogy, are expected to show up. Ironheart could appear, too, following her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and ahead her own forthcoming TV show. Alex P suggests Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer might appear in the MCU for the first time since Iron Man 2, too.

Spider-Man 4

Release date: TBC

A fourth Spider-Man MCU movie is in early development, though any discussions about it are on hold due to the strikes.

There were reports it’ll be part of Marvel Phase 5 and could release in July 2024. However, with Tom Holland taking a year-long break from acting and ongoing industrial action, you shouldn’t expect a new Spider-Man movie any time soon.

Holland and Zendaya are expected to return as Peter Parker and MJ respectively. There are rumors that Miles Morales (another webslinger) might make his live-action debut, which may see Donald Glover’s Aaron Davis appear following his Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse cameos. CanWeGetSomeToast also suggests it’ll tie into the MCU’s other “street level” projects, including Hawkeye and Daredevil: Born Again.

Marvel Phase 5 TV shows

Loki season 2

Release date: October 6, 2023

Loki season 2 will finally launch on Disney Plus in early October. Its first teaser trailer revealed that time is running out for the trickster god to help stop the multiverse’s collapse. A second, shorter teaser might also have spoiled a key Loki season 2 plot point, too.

Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Wunmi Mosaku are back as Loki, Agent Mobius, Sylvie, Revonna Renslayer, and HUnter B-15. Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) will play another TVA employee called Ouroboros, while Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones) and Rafael Casal (Bad Education) have been cast in undisclosed roles.

Season 1 head writer Michael Waldron is returning in an executive producing capacity. Eric Martin, a staff writer on three of season 1’s six entries, is the new head writer, while Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson (Moon Knight), plus Dan DeLeeuw, have directed its episodes. Kevin Feige has also revealed Loki season 2 “directly connects” to all three phases in the Multiverse Saga.

Echo

Release date: currently November 29, 2023

Following her MCU debut in Hawkeye, Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez/Echo is getting her own show. Unusually for a Marvel TV show, Echo will get a Netflix-style release with all six episodes launching at once. It’s still expected to launch in late November but, according to reports, it might be delayed until January 2024 (per The Hollywood Reporter).

Zach McClarnon reprises his role as Lopez’s father from Hawkeye, plus Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk and Charlie Cox’s Daredevil are set to feature. Chaske Spencer (Wild Indian), Tantoo Cardinal (Killers of the Flower Moon), Dervery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs), Cody Lightning (Hey, Viktor!), and Graham Greene (1883) have also been cast in undisclosed roles. 

Sydney Freeland (Navajo) and Catriona McKenzie (Gunaikurnai) are on directing duties, while Marion Dayne has penned its scripts. CanWeGetSomeToast claims it’ll make parts of Netflix’s Daredevil series canon in the MCU as well (although She-Hulk already did this in some respects).

Agatha: Coven of Chaos

Release date: TBC

This Marvel Phase 5 show sees Kathryn Hahn reprise her WandaVision role in this nine-episode musical comedy.

DanielRPK reports Sasheer Zamata (Tuca & Bertie) has been cast as Jennifer Kale (via the Scarlet Witch News X fan account), while Patti LuPone (Last Christmas) has confirmed she’s playing a witch called Lilia Calderu (per The Wrap). Joe Locke (Heartstopper) is playing a grown-up Billy Maximoff/Wiccan and Ali Ahn (Raising Dion) portrays Alice Gulliver (DanielRPK, via Agatha News), a detective with magical abilities.

Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Audrey Plaza (The White Lotus season 2), and Maria Dizzia (The Good Nurse) are also believed to be part of the cast. Meanwhile, Emma Caulfield Ford, Evan Peters, and Debra Jo Rupp, who played Dottie, Ralph Boener, and Sharon Davis in WandaVision, are expected to return. There’s also speculation Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda could feature (per Deadline).

Peter Cameron, Cameron Squires, and Laura Donney, all of whom worked on WandaVision, have penned the scripts, as is The Marvels‘ Megan McDonnell. Jac Schaeffer is on directing duties.

Daredevil: Born Again

Release date: TBC

Daredevil is finally getting an MCU TV series. Filming began in March but was halted by the strikes. Regardless, season 1 will comprise 18 episodes, reportedly be split into two parts (per MyTimetoShineHello), and star Charlie Cox doesn’t think it’ll be fully R-rated. 

Matt Corman and Chris Ord (The Enemy Within, Covert Affairs) are helming the series, with Michael Cuesta (Dexter) announced as its first director. The Cosmic Circus and Deadline respectively claim Jeffrey Nachmanoff (Homeland, Replicas) and Clark Johnson (Evil, Bosch) are helming episodes.

Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio reprise their roles as Daredevil and Wilson Fisk – the duo having already made MCU cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk, and Hawkeye respectively. Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Margarita Levieva (The Deuce), Colin Woodell (The Flight Attendant), Sandrine Holt (American Gigolo), and Arty Froushan (Carnival Row) have reportedly signed on in undisclosed roles. 

John Bernthal is rumored to be back as Frank Castle/The Punisher from Netflix’s Marvel universe – a character who creates a big problem for the MCU, in our view – and Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon) is said to be playing Kirsten McDuffie, an assistant district attorney. Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, and Ayelet Zuhre’s Karen, Foggy, and Vanessa aren’t expected to make the leap from Netflix’s Daredevil series to the MCU. Foggy’s absence will be addressed, though, according to CanWeGetSomeToast.

Additionally, Jack McBryan of The Direct and CanWeGetSomeToast have hinted that one specific plot point will directly tie into Daredevil’s Netflix series, which helps to make that series canon in the MCU. Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is reportedly already in development, too.

Ironheart

Release date: TBC

This Marvel Phase 5 series will see Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, star in her own TV show, which was due out in 2024 (per Variety) but has now reportedly been removed from the slate entirely (per The Hollywood Reporter).

It’s been written by Chinaka Hodge (Snowpiercer), with Angela Barnes (Killing It) and Samantha Bailey (Dear White People) on directing duties. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is one of its executive producers.

Anthony Ramos (In The Heights) will play Parker Robbins, aka The Hood, who specializes in dark magic. There are rumors that Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) will portray Mephisto, a previously rumored WandaVision villain, too. Elden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) is also part of the cast, as is Anji White (per Deadline), but we don’t know who they’re playing.

Potentially joining those big names are: Lyric Ross (This Is Us), Manny Montana (Good Girls), Zoe Terakes (Nine Perfect Strangers), Chaim Girafi (Waterworld), Shakira Barrera (GLOW), Rashida Olayiwola (Insecure), Sonia Denis (BoJack Horseman), Paul Calderon (Bosch), Cree Summers (Cosmic Love) and newcomer Harper Anthony.

Marvel Zombies

Release date: TBC

A spin-off of What If…?, Marvel Zombies will seemingly make MCU history when it launches as it’ll be Marvel’s first R-rated TV show.

It’ll pick up after the events of What If…? season 1 episode 5 – aka ‘What If… Zombies!?’ – and comprises four episodes. It’ll see the MCU’s newer heroes face off against the ever growing zombie superhero threat, with Shang-Chi, Ms Marvel, Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova, and Red Guardian among the dwindling superhero roster.

We’ll also see a zombified version of Ikaris but, given the Eternals are human-robot hybrids, it’ll be interesting to see how the infection affects him. Other zombified heroes will include Captain Marvel, Okoye, Ghost, Abomination, and Hawkeye.

Spider-Man: Freshman Year

Release date: TBC

Spider-Man: Freshman Year – which isn’t canon in the MCU – follows Peter Parker during his college days and celebrates his early comic book roots. Tom Holland isn’t expected to voice this version of the character, but Charlie Cox will supposedly voice Daredevil, which muddies the canonicity waters.

Harry Osborn, Amadeus Cho, and Nico Minuro are part of Peter’s friendship group. Norman Osborn will be Peter’s main mentor and multiple villains will show up, including Doc Ock, Chameleon, Scorpion, and Rhino.

Production has wrapped on this Marvel Phase 5 project. A second season, titled Spider-Man: Sophomore Year, is reportedly in development, but apparent cost-cutting measures apparently mean the whole show was in serious trouble and could even be canceled. Taking to X, however, head writer Jeff Trammell suggests it’ll come out at some point.

What If…? season 2

Release date: TBC

Season 2 of What If…? has reportedly been delayed until 2024. However, CanWeGetSomeToast (via Reddit) claims Marvel is debating whether to release it before 2023 ends or hold it back until next year.

Regardless, executive producer Brad Winderbaum confirmed season 2 will dig into what makes The Watcher tick and show more of his humanity, while co-creator Bryan Andrews has teased it’ll be wilder than its predecessor.

Scarlet Witch actor Elizabeth Olsen will reportedly lend her voice to her character’s animated version, despite not doing so in season 1. Cate Blanchett is back to voice Hela for a Thor: Ragnarok-based episode, while Laurence Fishburne will portray Bill Foster in an episode. Other entries include the unused Gamora-Iron Man team-up, which was originally part of season 1, an entry where Happy Hogan saves Christmas (per CanWeGetSomeToast), and a supposed Marvel 1602 set instalment. An original superhero called Kahhori will make their debut in season 2.

Finally, a third season has been greenlit, with MCU scooper DanielRPK suggesting the show’s next installment will mark the end of What If…?.

X-Men 97

Release date: TBC

A spin-off of What If…?, Marvel Zombies will make MCU history when it launches as it’ll be Marvel’s first R-rated TV show.

It’ll pick up after the events of What If…? season 1 episode 5 – aka ‘What If… Zombies!?’ – and comprises four episodes. It’ll see the MCU’s newer heroes face off against the ever growing zombie superhero threat, with Shang-Chi, Ms Marvel, Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova, and Red Guardian among the dwindling superhero roster.

We’ll also see a zombified version of Ikaris but, given the Eternals are human-robot hybrids, it’ll be interesting to see what role Ikaris will play. Other zombified heroes will include Captain Marvel, Okoye, Ghost, Abomination, and Hawkeye.

Marvel Phase 6: every movie announced so far

Marvel Phase 5 is the primary focus of this guide, but the first three Phase 6 movies (and their currently confirmed release dates) have been announced:

• Fantastic Four (May 2, 2025)
• Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (May 1, 2026)
• Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7, 2027)

For more Marvel-based content, read our X-Men movies in order article, Spider-Man movies in order guide, and our Marvel movies ranked piece.