All 14 Marvel Movies Releasing After Loki (& When)

An unfortunate delay due to the pandemic hasn’t impacted the Marvel Cinematic Universe too much, especially considering Marvel Studios has a massive 14 upcoming MCU movies releasing within the next few years. Avengers: Endgame marked the end of The Infinity Saga, with Iron Man and the rest of Earth’s mightiest heroes defeating Thanos once and for all – and sending the Infinity Stones back to their respective places in the timeline. But that wasn’t the end of the franchise; in fact, based on what the studio has planned, it was only the beginning.

There are thousands of worlds in the MCU – and thousands of versions of those worlds – that remain unexplored. Now is the time for the franchise to begin journeying to them, and through the multiverse. Part of the Phase 4’s overarching storyline is setting and diving into the MCU’s multiverse, which consists of an infinite number of alternate realities, not just alternate timelines. It’s a storyline that’s first being established on Disney+ thanks to Marvel Studios’ new TV initiative. WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier did their part in continuing the story post-Endgame, but it was Loki that set the stage for Phase 4’s grand narrative. And that will continue with What If…? before eventually making its way onto the big screen.

Right now, Marvel has over a dozen upcoming TV shows that will tie into over a dozen movies that are in development. So far, only one has released – Black Widow – but since that was a prequel that took place prior to the events of Avengers: Infinity War, the MCU’s future story really begins with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in late summer 2021.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – September 3, 2021

Marvel’s first foray into the world of martial arts is coming in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but the studio is also using the film as an opportunity to course-correct with the Mandarin. Both Mandarin and the Ten Rings organization have been part of Iron Man’s mythology since the beginning of the MCU, but it turns out, they weren’t the real villains behind everything. Now, Shang-Chi will bring the actual group into the fold with dragons, magic rings, and more.

Simu Liu stars as the eponymous Shang-Chi, with Tony Leung playing his father and the real Mandarin. They’ll be joined by the likes of Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and more, as well as returning MCU characters Wong and Abomination, both of whom have been shown fighting each other in Shang-Chi‘s trailer. The exciting part of this film is that it explores an entirely new corner of the MCU. It’s not easy to achieve, especially given how expansive the franchise has become, with the multiverse being the main focus in Phase 4.

Eternals – November 5, 2021

One of the Marvel Studios’ most intriguing films is Eternals. Guardians of the Galaxy was a good dry-run for introducing a team before giving each character a solo film, but that will be expanded on in many ways in Eternals. Since they’re an immortal race of superpowered beings, the Eternals‘ story will span across thousands of years, showcasing various parts of human history. And throughout all that time, they’ve remained in the shadows, never interfering in Earth’s defense – not even during the Avengers films. They could’ve defeated Thanos on their own, but for whatever reason, they chose not to. Now, in their movie, they will have to face their ancient enemy: the Deviants.

Not only will Eternals introduce new concepts and fantastical elements to the franchise, but the movie itself will has the most impressive and diverse cast of any superhero film yet. With people like Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Kit Harington, Lauren Ridloff, and more – not to mention being directed by recent Oscar winner Chloe Zhao – there’s a lot of potential for Eternals to become one of the most talked-about films of the year. Unfortunately, there’s little that’s known about the core story beyond who’s involved.

Spider-Man: No Way Home – December 17, 2021

The third and presumably final installment in Sony’s new Spider-Man series, Spider-Man: No Way Home brings back Tom Holland’s Peter Parker for a multiversal adventure, one that ties together the Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield eras as well. Sadly, given Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame, Robert Downey Jr. won’t return for this film, neither did he appear in the previous movie; instead, that mentorship role will be filled by Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. Though exact details about the story are still under wraps, at least until the first trailer releases, much of the excitement surrounding Spider-Man: No Way Home is due to its villains.

Alfred Molina returns as Doctor Octopus, with Jamie Foxx as Electro – both of whom come from other Spider-Man universes. With rumors of more villains and characters from other franchises making appearances, there’s a possibly for Sony’s own live-action Into the Spider-Verse happening in the MCU. And because of Cumberbatch’s inclusion, this film will tie into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the next Marvel film after Spider-Man 3.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – March 25, 2022

Releasing a whopping six years after the first movie hit theaters, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as its title suggests, dives head-first into alternate realities. Thanks to the Loki season 1 finale, the MCU’s multiverse is now fully unleashed. Multiple branches are splitting off, which will impact the rest of Phase 4, and it all might culminate in Doctor Strange 2. Perhaps the most secretive production yet, Marvel has revealed almost nothing about what the sequel actually entails. There’s no confirmed villain and there aren’t any details regarding how the multiverse will come together. Perhaps they’re waiting until after What If…? ends, which could affect future stories as well.

But beyond the narrative, there’s a lot to look forward to regarding the cast. Since there isn’t another Avengers movie on the way, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness acts as Phase 4’s major crossover film, with Benedict Cumberbatch being joined by Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch and Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, with reports suggesting Tom Hiddleston will reprise his role as Loki following his show’s setup. Tom Holland could theoretically return as well, since Doctor Strange will appear in his movie, but that remains to be seen.

Thor: Love & Thunder – May 6, 2022

Unlike most his fellow Avengers, Thor isn’t leaving the MCU behind just yet. He will return on the big screen in a big way in Thor: Love & Thunder, which also sees Natalie Portman back as Jane Foster. Of course, there will be a twist to her story seeing as Jane is confirmed to be playing Mighty Thor, the female, Jane Foster version of the God of Thunder. What’s more, it seems she’ll be wielding Mjolnir, which was taken back to the past at the end of Avengers: Endgame. They won’t be the only superheroes, though, seeing as the Guardians of the Galaxy are joining them.

Thor abdicated the throne of New Asgard in Endgame and left with the Guardians, it’s only natural that both of their stories continue in the upcoming Taika Waititi film. And whether or not Thor needs their help in his new adventure, the Asgardian hero will eventually find himself face to face with Christian Bale’s Gorr, the God Butcher, the film’s main villain. All in all, Thor: Love & Thunder sounds like the wildest Marvel movie yet, and based on the film’s set photos, it certainly seems that way.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – July 8, 2022

Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing in 2020 means T’Challa’s role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be limited, presumably to some off-screen event. Everyone is curious to see how Marvel handles his story since Boseman never had the chance to film anything for the Black Panther sequel, but that hasn’t fazed Ryan Coogler nor Marvel Studios. They believe their approach in building out the world of Wakanda and its people will be respectful of the legacy Boseman helped establish in the first film, as well as in subsequently Avengers movies.

Going based on reports, though, it won’t just be Wakanda that’s featured in the film, despite its subtitle being Wakanda Forever – an apt tribute to the original production and its impact on society. There are rumors that Namor will also appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, paving the way for the introduction of Marvel’s Atlantis. It’s a storyline that has intrigued for fans for quite some time, but seeing it actually happen on-screen will be something else. At the moment, the main cast from the first film are confirmed for the sequel, but so far, Marvel has kept the rest of the cast and characters under wraps.

The Marvels – November 11, 2022

Captain Marvel 2 isn’t just about Captain Marvel anymore; that’s why it’s called The Marvels. Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers may have been the first “Marvel” character in the MCU, but she won’t be the last. Teyonah Parris will join Larson in the sequel as the adult Monica Rambeau. She made her debut as Rambeau in WandaVision, in which she unlocked her powers by passing through the Westview barrier multiple times. Though it’s unclear exactly what her story will be in The Marvels, it’s plausible that part of it will include her becoming a superhero. (She’s gone by many names – Photon, Pulsar, and Spectrum – so Marvel is bound to use one of them.)

Also joining Larson and Parris is Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. The studio has long wanted to bring Kamala Khan onto the silver screen, but doing so took longer than expected. Rather than having her own film, Ms. Marvel is being turned into a TV series on Disney+, which releases in late 2021. Following that show’s conclusion, Ms. Marvel will appear in The Marvels alongside her childhood hero, Captain Marvel.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – February 17, 2023

Ant-Man films have struggled with releasing in the aftermath of Avengers movies, taking some interest away from the shrinking superhero. Now that won’t be the case with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which not only brings back both versions of Ant-Man and The Wasp – played by Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, and Evangeline Lilly and Michelle Pfeiffer, respectively – but will also introduce audiences to Kang the Conqueror.

Loki already brought in a version of Kang with the villain He Who Remains, but the actual comic book villain, the one who wreaks havoc across the timeline and multiverse, will appear fully in Ant-Man 3. But aside from Kang making his full-fledged debut, the third Ant-Man film promises to explore the Quantum Realm. It was broken down superficially in the second film, but judging by the subtitle of the upcoming sequel, it seems Ant-Man and the Wasp will finally dive deep into the inner workings of what the Quantum Realm is and what its secrets are.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – May 5, 2023

Just like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’ll be six years between installments of Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The third film was reportedly slated to hit theaters in 2020, but due to James Gunn being fired in 2018 (though later rehired), Marvel was forced to move things around. Now Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is slated to release in May 2023, with the entire main cast returning in their respective roles. However, before that happens, audiences can check out the Guardians in both Thor: Love & Thunder and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which will release on Disney+ in holiday 2022 and fill in the gap in the Guardians’ story between Thor 4 and Guardians of the Galaxy 3.

Unfortunately, no details have been shared regarding what the story will be about in the upcoming sequel; however, multiple people involved have confirmed that it will be the final Guardians movie, at least in its current iteration. Another version of the team could appear in the future, or some characters could move to other film series, but that’s unknown at the moment.

Fantastic Four – Possibly 2023

Not long after Marvel Studios regained the film rights to the Fantastic Four, thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the studio announced a theatrical reboot for the superhero team. 20th Century Fox made two notable attempts at adapting Marvel’s First Family, with their initial movie earning a sequel, but the 2015 reimagining failed to spur interest in more stories. But with Marvel Studios at the helm, fans are excited to see what the Fantastic Four would look like in the MCU. Fantastic Four is currently the only upcoming film without a release date that has a director attached. Following the conclusion of MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy, Jon Watts will take on Fantastic Four. Given that development, it’s possible the film could release in 2023. After all, Disney currently has three unclaimed release dates slotted for Marvel Studios movies – in July, October, and November – so Fantastic Four could take one of those.

Blade – Possibly 2023

Only someone like Mahershala Ali can call the head of Marvel Studios and request and MCU movie of his own, and actually get it. That’s what Kevin Feige said happened when Marvel announced a Blade reboot at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. Ali previously played the villain Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes in the MCU-adjacent series Luke Cage on Netflix, but now he’ll return to the big screen as the universe’s premier vampire hunter. Wesley Snipes previous portrayed Blade in New Line Cinema’s films in the 1990s and 2000s, but that series will be separate from Marvel’s own adaptation. Though a release hasn’t been set, Stacy Osei-Kuffour was hired to write the script in 2021 and filming is reportedly scheduled to being in July 2022, making a potential 2023 release date possible – perhaps either the unclaimed October or November dates.

Deadpool 3

The X-Men and Fantastic Four franchise may be over with 20th Century Fox, but Deadpool isn’t (despite being part of the X-Men film series). Deadpool’s uniqueness with breaking the fourth wall is something Marvel can utilize when bringing him into the MCU, and since Ryan Reynolds’ portrayal of the character became incredibly popular worldwide, there’s no reason for the studio to attempt to recast the role. It wouldn’t be received too well by fans. So instead, Deadpool 3 will happen under Marvel Studios; it’s planned to be rated R and take place within the MCU. No one is currently attached to direct Deadpool 3, but Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin were hired to write the script, with filming expected to begin sometime after 2021. That would mean Deadpool 3 could release either in late 2023 or sometime in 2024.

Captain America 4

Chris Evans no longer plays Steve Rogers – not even in What If…? – but that doesn’t mean Captain America’s time in the MCU is over. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is the new Captain America, and to coincide with the finale of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it was reported that the series’ head writer and staff writer, respectively, Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson would be cor-writing a script for Captain America 4. Considering that the show ended with the title Captain America and the Winter Soldier, it makes sense that Marvel plans to continue Cap’s story in some form. And with Sharon Carter’s story remaining unresolved, there’s potential for her to return as an antagonist as well. Since the film was only recently put into development, it might be a while before it releases in theaters.

X-Men

Easily one of the most anticipated movies from Marvel Studios is X-Men, or at least some film that includes mutants. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige teased an X-Men movie at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, but there’s been no announced movement on the project ever since. Whether an X-Men movie comes to fruition or the mutant superhero team is included in another story remains to be seen, but after the Disney-Fox deal, the X-Men are certainly on Marvel’s mind.