Marvel Tearing Up Phase 5 & 6 Release Plans Is Great For The MCU’s Future

Although they entail a longer wait, the MCU‘s Phase 5 and 6 delays are ultimately good news for the franchise. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is no stranger to delays, having reshuffled all of Phase 4 multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a high output, an increasingly interconnected multiverse, and some unavoidable events that affect the whole movie industry, MCU release dates are still bound to keep moving around.

After a barrage of Phase 4 releases, Marvel is taking a step back with Phases 5 and 6. The company is spacing out upcoming titles and delaying them when necessary to guarantee a higher quality. In reaction to the Writers Guild of America strike, Marvel has decided to push back Captain America: Brave New World from May 2024 to July 2024; Thunderbolts from July 2024 to December 2024; Blade from September 2024 to February 2025; Fantastic Four from February 2025 to May 2025, and Avengers: Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars one whole year to May 2026 and May 2027, respectively — all of which seem like ideal release dates.

Marvel Filming Without Writers Would Be Detrimental To MCU Movies

While the bulk of the writing process takes place in the development and pre-production stages, writers are also key in the filming phase of every movie and show. All scripts are constantly changing whether because actors, directors, and producers come up with new ideas or because unexpected obstacles require them to adapt. So, when a script needs any changes, writers ensure that the new material can fit the final product without causing further issues later down the line. Besides, on-set improv and ad-libbed lines also count as script changes, which aren’t possible during the writers strike — hence why Ryan Reynolds is practically banned from improvising in Deadpool 3.

Mid-filming script changes aren’t always fitting, which is why so much footage doesn’t make it to the final cut. An improv-heavy director like Taika Waititi can come up with great material on the spot — which helped Thor: Ragnarok reinvent Thor — but also can flood a movie with vague ideas that don’t really go anywhere, as was the case with Thor: Love and Thunder. However, the ability to play with the script is extremely helpful, as it provides the cast and crew with plenty of creative options that can be kept or cut later on. Without it, the MCU wouldn’t have had Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic “I am Iron Man” line.

The MCU Phase 4 Was Criticized For Its Release Schedule

The MCU’s Phase 4 kicked off the Multiverse Saga with seven movies and eight Disney+ shows in a span of two years — an unprecedented output level that expanded the MCU’s character roster in record time but received criticism for its breakneck pace. Although Phase 4 introduced a wide variety of genres and styles, it also rushed its scripts and visual effects. Audiences and critics were overwhelmed with content and struggled to find a general outline as clear as the one that Phases 1-3 had in the Infinity Saga.

Phase 5 is slowing down the pace with only three movies and possibly 3 Disney+ shows per year, which gives each title enough room to breathe and creates anticipation for each following release. With further delays extending the wait, the MCU can now return to its Infinity Saga days, when Marvel movies had all the weight of a massive event instead of coming off as skippable chapters in a wider story. Coupled with enough time to polish the scripts and visual effects, these delays may avoid all the issues that afflicted Phase 4.

MCU Phase 5 and 6 Delays Are Minor

Phase 5’s delays aren’t just helpful. They’re also quite imperceptible in the grand scheme of things. Delays of two, four, or six months can’t compare to the year-and-a-half period of absolutely no MCU content between 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home and 2021’s WandaVision, or even the one-year wait between 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and 2012’s The Avengers. Disney+ shows such as Secret Invasion, Loki, and Daredevil: Born Again will also keep the MCU moving forward in between movies, and the wait between Fantastic Four, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Avengers: Endgame will feel much shorter when more Phase 6 projects are finally announced.

MCU Phase 5 And 6 Movies Are Still Releasing In The Same Order (Mostly)

The fact that Phase 5’s release order remains largely unchanged is also great news. Previously, Phase 4’s constant delays required certain titles to be rewritten due to the narrative connections between them, and their release order was shuffled so often that Marvel had to keep playing around with their constantly changing scripts. This is why instead of having the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home be a direct consequence of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange’s out-of-character wish to help Peter Parker ended up causing Spider-Man’s multiversal shenanigans.

The only movie that has broken Phase 5’s release order is Deadpool 3, which has moved from November 8, 2024 to May 3, 2024. Since Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine come from a different franchise, this change in release dates likely won’t affect the MCU’s overarching story negatively. Besides, the wait for such a highly anticipated Phase 5 movie has been shortened, and Marvel’s commitment to its timely release suggests that Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool 3 improv ban is no problem for the movie. So, while the MCU‘s Phase 5 and 6 delays may be frustrating, they will likely be worth the wait.