MCU Phase 5 Release Dates, Characters & Synopsises For Marvel’s Next 6 Shows Reportedly Revealed

The Writers Guild of America strikes have come to an end, and it looks like Marvel has wasted no time in reportedly registering copyrights for the next slew of 6 shows of MCU Phase 5, thereby unveiling details about their release dates, characters, and synopses. It’s important to note that Marvel has stated that nothing is finalized until the still-ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes have ended, making all reports online at the current time unconfirmed until such a time as this changes. With negotiations well underway, however, there is a lot that can be gleaned from the reported registrations if they hold true, including a not-too-optimistic steer on the intended release dates for the upcoming additions to the MCU timeline.

The registrations so far include information on X-Men ’97, Echo, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, Spider-Man: Freshman Year, Daredevil: Born Again, and Ironheart. If all goes according to plan, then each of these should release within the next two years. This means that, along with every upcoming Marvel movie, there will be a lot of MCU content to absorb. Here is everything that can be gathered from the reports of copyright registrations so far.

X-Men ’97

• X-Men ’97 Release Date: January 3, 2024
• X-Men ’97 Director: Jake Castorena
• X-Men ’97 Cast: Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Christopher Britton as Mr. Sinister, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, Gui Agustini as Roberto.
• Synopsis: In the first episode, Marvel Studios presents “X-Men ’97” in which the X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before and are forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.

The reboot of the iconic X-Men series of 1992 was originally slated for a Fall 2023 release, but has since been pushed back. The animated series will take place outside MCU canon, instead looking to pay homage to the classic original by sticking to an almost identical animation style, with the original voice actors reprising their roles. With that being said, however, Charles Xavier’s appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness did resemble his classic X-Men animation look, so who knows what kind of references and other MCU Easter eggs might make an appearance.

Echo

• Echo Release Date: January 10, 2024
• Echo Director: Sydney Freeland
• Echo Cast: Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, Vincent D’onofrio as Kingpin, Chaske Spencer as Henry, Tantoo Cardinal as Chula, Graham Greene as Skully, Cody Lightning as Cousin Biscuits, Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Devery Jacobs as Bonnie, and Zahn McClarnon as William Lopez.
• Synopsis: Marvel Studios presents “Echo” in which Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) struggles to reconnect with her Native American roots while balancing aspirations tied to a life of crime as successor to the brutal legacy of Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) aka Kingpin. In the first episode we are introduced to Maya Lopez and her struggles.

Echo will be the first MCU Phase 5 installment post-The Marvels and will feature Maya Lopez returning to her hometown to reconnect with her Native American heritage following her confrontation with Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in Hawkeye. It will also feature Kingpin and Daredevil ahead of Daredevil: Born Again, setting these characters up for some heavy MCU involvement over the next couple of years outside their long-awaited solo series. The hope now is that Echo can somehow remove the sour taste left by the recently panned MCU Disney Plus series, Secret Invasion, and continue the more positive spin started by Loki season 2.

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries

• Agatha: Darkhold Diaries Release Date: September 19, 2024
• Agatha: Darkhold Diaries Director: Jac Schaeffer
• Agatha: Darkhold Diaries Cast: Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness, Aubrey Plaza as Rio, Joe Locke as Teen, Patti LiPone as Lilia, Sasheer Zamata as Jen K, Ali Ahn as Alice.
• Synopsis: In the first episode, we see Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) finally break out of a spell she has been trapped in. She can’t wait to go back to her old murderous ways, only to find that she is powerless. The only way forward for her is to embark on a perilous quest to get her powers back with the help of an unlikely friend or two.

Information reported by Scarlet Witch Updates on Twitter/X (Via Scarlet Witch Updates) about the WandaVision spinoff, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries indicates that, at least for now, the studio is sticking with that title after two changes. It also keeps to the expected September 2024 release date, which is unlikely to change at this point. It also lists Aubrey Plaza’s character as “Rio,” though that by no means precludes her from her rumored role as Morgan Le Fay.

Spider-Man: Freshman Year

• Spider-Man: Freshman Year Release Date: November 2, 2024
• Spider-Man: Freshman Year Cast: Hudson Thames as Peter Parker, Eugene Byrd as Lonnie Lincoln, Grace Song as Nico Minoru, Hugh Dancy as Otto Octavius, Kari Wahlgren as Aunt May, and Zeno Robinson as Harry Osborn.
• Synopsis: Marvel Studios presents “Spider-Man: Freshman Year” in which Peter Parker’s life, while getting ready for his High School orientation, is forever changed by events that send him on a journey like none before. In the first episode we discover that the new era of Spider-Man begins here!

Spider-Man Freshman Year is another out-of-canon Marvel animation that, evidently, will not include Tom Holland in the titular role. The show is slated to be an homage to silver-age Spider-Man centering around the origin story that Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming merely glossed over. Charlie Cox is also slated to reprise his role as Daredevil once more in the show, quickly making him one of the hardest working actors in Marvel.

Daredevil: Born Again

• Daredevil: Born Again Release Date: January 2025
• Daredevil: Born Again Director: Michael Cuesta
• Daredevil: Born Again Cast: Charlie Cox as Daredevilm Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin, Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn, Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blade, Sandrine Holt as Vanessa Fisk, Nikki M James as Kirsten McDuffie, Genneya Walton as BB Urich, Clark Johnson as Cherry, Arty Froushan as Buck Cashman, and Zabryna Guevara as Sheila Rivera.
• Synopsis: Marvel Studios presents “Daredevil” in which longtime rivals Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) try to leave behind their darker alter-egos to serve the people of New York only to have their pasts catch up to them. In the first episode of the series we are reintroduced to the world of Daredevil.

As filming commenced right before the strikes began, Daredevil: Born Again is one of the MCU Phase 5 shows most affected by the strikes. This has led to a delay that won’t see it arrive on Disney Plus for over a year, and that is if all goes well. The fact that this show will feature 18 episodes also factors into the development time, but at least there will be plenty of Matt Murdock and Kingpin to enjoy until then, with their presence in other MCU shows.

Ironheart

• Ironheart Release Date: September 3 2025
• Ironheart Director: Sam Bailey
• Ironheart Cast: Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins, Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy, Lyrics Ross as Natalie Washington, Matthew Elam as Xavier Washington, Anji White as Ronnie Williams, Sacha Baron Cohen as Mystery Man, Manny Montana as Cousin John, Shea Coulee as Slug.
• Synopsis: Marvel Studios presents “Ironheart” in which charming teenage super genius Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) returns from MIT to her hometown of Chicago in her iron suit and begins to unravel threads that bring danger and adventure right to her doorstep. The adventure begins in episode 101 as Riri is introduced to the audience.

Riri Williams hasn’t been seen since her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where she showed off her flashy take on an Iron Man-inspired armor. Ironheart is another release date casualty of the strikes, as it was initially penned for a 2024 release. One thing that can be relied on is that the MCU show will set Ironheart up suitably before her presumed involvement in Armor Wars and the next iteration of the Avengers.