Marvel Phase 4: new MCU release dates, cast news, crossovers, and more

[The_King]

Marvel Phase 4 has undergone its biggest change... well, ever. Courtesy of the Disney Investor Stream, we have new release dates, new cast news, and even a newcomer into Marvel Phase 4.

Beyond that, there are several major shifts in the MCU. Ant-Man 3 has a new title, Fantastic Four are officially in the MCU, and there is even a surprising tie-in to the new Marvel TV shows in Captain Marvel 2.

Honestly, it's a lot to take in. So we're giving you an easy cheat sheet to Marvel Phase 4 (and 5). Bite-sized rundowns and recaps of everything we know about every major project in development can be found below, starting with the movies.

• Everything we know about Black Widow 

• Every Marvel post-credits scene explained

• How to watch the Marvel movies in order 

Marvel Phase 4 release dates

Marvel Phase 4 release dates

Marvel Phase 4 release dates for both the MCU movies and Disney Plus TV shows were inititally announced at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2019, while Spider-Man 3 was added at a later date. But now, it's all change.

Here are the updated Phase 4 release dates in the wake of both Black Widow's original shift to November, and its later push into 2021. That means essentially every MCU movie for the next couple of years has been pushed back. It's time to memorise these all over again, with the added caveat that these are most definitely subject to change.

• WandaVision (January 15, 2021)

• The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (March 19, 2021)

• The Black Widow movie (May 7, 2021)

• Loki TV show (May 2021)

• Shang-Chi: And the Legend of the Ten Rings (July 9, 2021)

• What If...? (Summer 2021)

• Hawkeye series (Late 2021)

• Ms. Marvel (Late 2021)

• Eternals (November 5, 2021)

• Spider-Man 3 (December 17, 2021)

• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (March 25, 2022)

• Thor: Love and Thunder (May 6, 2022)

Marvel Phase 4 movies

Marvel Phase 4 movies

Black Widow

Marvel Phase 4 Black Widow

The next stop in the MCU on the big screen will be the Black Widow movie, now arriving on May 7, 2021. Need to prepare for Nat's standalone adventure? Watch the first trailer now.

Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow's confirmed cast includes Scarlett Johansson returning as Natasha Romanoff; Stranger Things’ David Harbour as Alexi; Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova (a “sister figure to Natasha” who takes up the Black Widow mantle in the comics, hint, hint); O-T Fagbenle as Mason, and Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff AKA Iron Maiden in the comics. The Taskmaster will also be in the Black Widow movie, but we don't know who's behind the mask just yet.

The cast may expand even further - if you believe some of the juiciest unconfirmed rumours, that is. Robert Downey Jr. has been mooted for a quick cameo from previously-filmed footage, while William Hurt's General Ross also appears in the first trailer.

The story, according to director Cate Shortland, will have the audience understanding Black Widow’s past and “she gets to put all the pieces of herself back together.”

Scarlett Johansson has also talked up her part in the movie, saying: “She gets to play Natasha as a fully-realised woman… and I’m excited for fans to see the flawed side of her" and telling sister publication Total Film "Natasha Romanoff in a family drama is the least expected thing."

As for the much-questioned timeline, Harbour has revealed to IGN that it, indeed, takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. We already had a good idea as to where it fits in thanks to a leaked product placement shot from 2019, but it’s now been confirmed.

• Our complete MCU recap 

• The MCU timeline explained

• New Marvel TV shows

• All the new superhero movies

Shang-Chi: And the Legend of the Ten Rings

Marvel Phase 4 Shang-Chi

Releasing on July 9, 2021, the first Asian-led superhero movie will feature Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung-Fu. Tony Leung will play Wenwu, Awkwafina is Shang-Chi’s friend Katy and Michelle Yeoh joins the MCU as Jiang Nan

While no one else apart from those three cast members have been announced, Simu Liu is already making waves on social media thanks to some fantastic old Twitter posts. In them, he’s openly calling for Marvel to cast an Asian lead in the MCU and, wouldn’t you just know it, he’s now made it come to life.

Destin Daniel Cretton (who worked with Captain Marvel herself Brie Larson on The Glass Castle) is directing the movie, which has now wrapped filming.

Eternals

Marvel Phase 4 Eternals

Eternals will now be the third Phase 4 movie and is releasing on November 5, 2021. It's also had a name change: Eternals instead of The Eternals. Go figure.

The Eternals cast includes Richard Madden as Ikaris, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Kumail Nanjiani will be playing Kingo, Salma Hayek (Ajak, the “leader of the Eternals,” according to Feige), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos, a “genius,” says the actor), Don Lee as the hulking Gilgamesh, while Lia McHugh and The Walking Dead’s Lauren Ridloff rounds out the current confirmed cast, playing Sprite and Makkari respectively. Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington will also appear as the Black Knight.

Brazil's CCXP featured the first Eternals trailer, but unfortunately it was a behind-closed-doors affair. Expect a full trailer once Black Widow releases, though we do have some leaked art hinting at each of their costumes.

Madden also revealed a little about the premise back at SDCC 2019, saying: “The Eternals are a race of immortal aliens sent [to Earth] by the Celestials to protect humankind from the Deviants.”

Feige himself has given a small peek into what to expect from the Eternals story, having told ComicBook.com: “It will be a story that will introduce you to this incredibly eclectic group of immortals, they're the focus of the story." He siad of the setting: "It takes place in our universe – it takes place in the MCU.”

Chloe Zhao, who will be directing The Eternals, said at SDCC: “I just really, really wanted to make a Marvel movie for so long… For this film, The Eternals, it’s about this incredible group of immortals but, through their journey, we get to explore what it means to be human.”

Marvel has even given us two pieces of Eternals concept art , one from August 2019, showcasing the Eternals' creators, the Celestials, stomping through an unknown planet and looking every inch the world-razing sentient beings that were feared long ago in the Marvel universe. The other is an out-of-this-world shot of a towering Celestial that features at 1:33 on this 2020 Marvel preview.

Spider-Man 3

Marvel Phase 4

Rejoice! The as-yet-untitled Spider-Man 3 (can we make a suggestion? Spider-Man: Back Home) has been confirmed for December 17, 2021 after a delay and will be part of Marvel Phase 4. Phew.

No news yet on what the plot will entail, though you'd imagine it would follow on from that Spider-Man: Far From Home cliffhanger, which involved Mysterio giving up Spidey's secret identity. 

Curiously, it's looking to go big on potentially the multiverse and Spider-Man's movie history. Jamie Foxx's Electro is back after his turn in the Amazing Spider-Man series. New reports also suggest that Alfred Molina is back as Doc Ock and Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield could also return as Spider-Man.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Marvel Phase 4 Thor Love and Thunder

Thor: Love and Thunder – intially the last movie of Marvel Phase 4 before a release date reshuffle – is coming on May 6, 2022, and will almost definitely shock you with its big reveal: Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is the new Thor (now officially called Mighty Thor). Just let that sink in for a moment.

Not only that, but Chris Hemsworth is back at the OG God of Thunder, while Tessa Thompson is playing Valkyrie for the third time in the MCU. Taika Waititi is also returning to direct and write Love and Thunder. The villain of the piece is none other than ex-Batman actor Christian Bale. He'll be playing Gorr the God Butcher.

Waititi hosted a watchalong of Ragnarok, wherein he let slip a few Love and Thunder details. Valkyrie will continue to look for a queen to rule alongside her in Asgard, while Korg is also confirmed to be back, though love might not be on the menu for our rock-based friend in Thor 4.

The God of Thunder himself, Chris Hemsworth, has also recently spoken about the Phase 4 sequel. He told the Philadelphia Enquirer, "[It’s] Taika at his most extreme, and at his best. If the version I read is the one we get running with, it’s going to be pretty insane.”

Waititi has also hinted that Love and Thunder will also take some inspiration from Jason Aaron’s Mighty Thor comic run, which introduced the concept of Jane Foster as Thor. If you need a primer on what to expect, check out what the comics tell us about Natalie Portman's Mighty Thor.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Marvel Phase 4 Doctor Strange Multiverse Madness

It's all change here in the Sanctum Sanctorum for the Doctor Strange sequel, which is now slated for March 25, 2022. 

Director Scott Derrickson, who helmed the original Doctor Strange, has departed Multiverse of Madness, citing “creative differences.” His writing partner, C. Robert Cargill, has also left the project. No replacement has yet been officially announced, though Sam Raimi told a conference call at which GamesRadar+ was present that he will be involved in the project.

Derrickson, who has a history of making horror movies – including Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose – was thought to be a perfect match for the potentially darker Doctor Strange sequel, though Raimi, of course, is no slouch in the scare game having directed Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell.

The Sorcerer Supreme himself, Benedict Cumberbatch, even teased the scarier direction of the film previously at San Diego Comic-Con, saying that there will be “a twist of horror that will really have people gripped… We’re going back to try and destroy [Doctor Strange] a bit I think.”

Outside of Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, and Chiwetel Ejiofor will appear in the Phase 4 film, which will directly tie into WandaVision and Spider-Man 3. Xochitl Gomez will also portray MCU newcomer America Chavez. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays Baron Mordo, told GamesRadar+ "I'm very excited to see what Sam Raimi does with that world."

Feige has teased the multiverse aspect at CCXP: "The multiverse is the next step in the evolution of the MCU and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is going to crack it wide open in ways that will have repercussions."

Marvel Phase 4 TV Shows

Word of warning: these aren't just mere offshoots and spin-offs. This is the full-fat MCU. On television. A report reckons each "six to eight episode" run will have budgets comparable to an MCU movie. On that excitable note, let's go through each upcoming entry show-by-show, though expect several of these release dates and windows to change in the coming weeks.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Phase 4 Falcon Winter Soldier

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is arriving on March 19, 2021. Filming has been going on throughout 2020 and there was even a chance to see the new Captain America suit.

The series itself, meanwhile, will see the newly-anointed Captain America, Sam Wilson, teaming up with Bucky Barnes. The synopsis describes the pair teaming up "in a global adventure that tests their abilities—and their patience." The series will be directed by Kari Skogland with Malcolm Spellman serving as head writer.

CCXP was home to the very first images from the show. They were snapped by Brazilian outlet Omlete during the panel.

At SDCC, Anthony Mackie said he wants to find out “what makes The Winter Soldier tick… and what ticks him off.” With that in mind, we can perhaps expect a buddy comedy-style set-up for the dynamic duo.

The big reveal, though, came during the 2020 Disney Investors' stream. We now have a Falcon and The Winter Soldier trailer, people!

WandaVision

Marvel Phase 4 WandaVision

WandaVision has been moved up. Previously set for a Spring 2021 release, the show is now set to debut on January 15, 2021.

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany will be reprising their roles as Scarlet Witch and Vision, and Jac Schaeffer (one of the co-writers of Captain Marvel) is reportedly the series showrunner, as per Variety. 

Nothing has been confirmed yet, though, as to how Vision will return to life after his death in Avengers: Infinity War. Bettany said he  “has no idea” about Vision’s return. Kevin Feige has also teased what’s to come, telling a packed Hall H that “It’s unlike anything we’ve ever done before.”

The trailer backs that up, showcasing a series of sitcom-style scenarios for the loved-up couple, with a dark undercurrent running throughout. The show's opening episode even went as far as being filmed in front of a live studio audience.

On the opportunity to explore Scarlet Witch some more, Olsen said: “We’re gonna have a lot of fun. We’re gonna get weird, it’s gonna get deep, and have lots of surprises. We’re finally going to understand Wanda Maximoff.”

Speaking of surprises, Monica Rambeau is returning to the MCU. Having previously been seen in Captain Marvel as a child, this will be an all-grown-up version of the character, played by Teyonah Parris. Parris curiously described herself as a “Marvel superhero.” Could we expect Photon to be teaming up with Scarlet Witch and Vision?

If you're eager to see the first (black-and-white!) image for WandaVision, in the style of classic sitcoms such as I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners, then you're in luck:

The synopsis reads: "Marvel Studios’ WandaVision blends the style of classic sitcoms with the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany)—two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems. The new series is directed by Matt Shakman; Jac Schaeffer is head writer. Debuts on Disney Plus this year."

Loki TV show

Marvel Phase 4 Loki

Tom Hiddleston is back in this May 2021 Disney Plus series.

During the Marvel SDCC 2019 panel, Feige says that Loki’s escape with the Space Stone in Avengers: Endgame will tie into the Loki TV show and will “tell you what happened with Loki right after [Endgame].”

Tom Hiddleston has described Loki as going up against "more formidable opponents" while those wondering about the God of Mischief's death and what plans he gets up to with the Tesseract can rest easy. Hiddleston also promised "this series will answer both of those questions."

There's now actually a full Loki trailer too. With references to everything from Vote Loki to plane hijacker D.B. Cooper, this looks like one of the most fun Marvel TV shows around.

What If...?

Marvel Phase 4 What If

The most curious of the Marvel Phase 4 offerings – in more ways than one. Disney Plus will be the home for “What If…?” an animated anthology series dedicated to exploring “different versions” of iconic MCU scenes and moments.

The cast reads like a who’s who of Marvel icons: Michael B. Jordan, Sebastian Stan, Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, Hayley Atwell, Chadwick Boseman, Karen Gillan, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Neal McDonough, Dominic Cooper, Sean Gunn, Nicole Portman, Stanley Tucci, Taika Waititi, Toby Jones, Djimon Honsou, Michael Rooker, and Jeff Goldblum will be lending their voices and reprising their Marvel roles in the cartoon. Phew.

There’s even a new face in town. Westworld’s Jeffrey Wright will be voicing The Watcher, otherwise known as the being dedicated to chronicling universe-shaking events across the cosmos.

What If…? will be releasing in Summer 2021.

Hawkeye series

Marvel Phase 4 Hawkeye

The furthest out of the currently-announced Marvel Phase 4 TV shows is the Hawkeye series, starring Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton, which will shoot its way on to Disney Plus in Fall 2021.

Of course, with the show still being over two years out, Marvel only has so much info stocked in its quiver to fire out there. One of which, however, is that the show will feature Barton training Kate Bishop, who Renner describes as “the best Hawkeye… and I get to teach someone else how to be a superhero without superpowers.” Feige also confirmed at SDCC that we’ll explore more of Hawkeye’s time as Ronin in-between Infinity War and Endgame.

No actress has yet been cast as Kate Bishop, though Hailee Steinfeld is currently the big name attached to the role. The Bumblebee star has apparently held talks with Marvel over playing Bishop.

Recently, the Hawkeye directors have also been announced. THR states that Bert and Bertie and Rhys Thomas will be helming some episodes.

Ms. Marvel

Ms. Marvel

News of Ms. Marvel’s imminent arrival into the MCU actually leaked ahead of its planned D23 announcement. That didn’t cause Marvel Studios to change its course, however, as news of Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (the first Muslim superhero in the MCU) appearing in Marvel Phase 4 or 5 still landed alongside reveals of She-Hulk and Moon Knight. 

Ms. Marvel will be played by Iman Vellani. The character will also appear in Captain Marvel 2 but, first, she's getting her own series coming in Late 2021.

Beyond Phase 4 – AKA Marvel Phase 5

Feige, being the showman that he is, left us with a few more breadcrumbs at SDCC 2019. At the tail-end of the Hall H reveal, he confirmed that Black Panther 2, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Blade, and Captain Marvel 2 would be coming to the MCU. 

In late 2020, Marvel officially added to that slate with Fantastic Four, meaning that everything beyond Phase 4 is now set up for the next few years.

However, they aren’t officially part of Marvel Phase 4, nor do some have official release dates.. Here's what we know so far:

• Black Panther 2 – July 8, 2022

• Captain Marvel 2 – October 7, 2022

• February 17, 2023

• May 5, 2023

• July 28, 2023

• November 3, 2023

One thing that’s not coming just yet, though, is an Avengers movie in Marvel Phase 4. Feige told IGN this new chapter is all about “beginnings” but didn’t rule out a future return for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Here's what we do know, though, about some of the movies in pre-production.

Black Panther 2

The situation with Black Panther 2 is currently unknown following the death of Chadwick Boseman, though T'Challa will not be recast. Instead, the Black Panther sequel will "continue to explore the incomparable world of Wakanda and all of the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film Read our tribute to the real-life superhero here.

Captain Marvel 2

Marvel

Carol Danvers was always going to return, but we now have a better idea of exactly when she'll be going supernova again.

Captain Marvel 2 will release on November 11, 2022. Sources close to THR also indicate that Carol's next adventure will be in the modern day, not in the '90s. Phew. No more questionable style choices. Nia DaCosta is attached to direct.

Joining the cast is Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Not much is known about Ant-Man 3 at this early stage outside of its villain (more on that in a moment) and general cast. The original THR report states that it is filming in 2021 with the aim to release in 2022, while Rick and Morty writer Jeff Loveness is penning the script. That could put it in Phase 4 territory, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. Paul Rudd will return, as will director Peyton Reed.

The big arrival, though, is Jonathan Majors, who will play time-travelling villain Kang the Conqueror. Whether it's a set up for him to become the MCU's next Big Bad or just a one-off appearance is unknown.

Joining him, as per Marvel, is "Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp, Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne. Kathryn Newton joins the cast as Cassie Lang."

Guardians of the Galaxy 3

The curious case of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 has as many twists, turns, and misdirects as a trailer for a Russo Brother film. James Gunn was initially fired by Disney. Then he was re-hired less than a year later. Now, a Guardians of the Galaxy 3 script is bringing people to tears. Gunn, though, is still working on a Suicide Squad reboot and won’t be transferring back to the MCU until that’s released in 2021. Disney has pencilled in a 2023 release.

Expect Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel to return. The movie may even focus on the search for Zoe Saldana’s Gamora after the events of Endgame, with James Gunn even teasing on Instagram Live (H/T Screen Rant) that a character will die. Meanwhile, we shouldn’t discount Chris Hemsworth joining the crew of the Milano and making it a big Asgardians of the Galaxy shindig.

Blade

Blade MCU

Marvel has announced that a Blade film, starring Mahershala Ali as the eponymous vampire hunter, is in development at the studio. This will be Ali's second role within the MCU, having previously played Cottonmouth in the Netflix show Luke Cage.

The announcement was made at San Diego Comic-Con, with Marvel head Kevin Feige confirming a Blade standalone movie alongside another nine new MCU movies are currently in development.

She-Hulk

She Hulk

One of a trio of Disney Plus MCU shows to be revealed at D23 (more on the other two below), She-Hulk is confirmed to be coming to the streaming service at an unconfirmed time in the near future. At the moment, all we’ve got is a logo to go on and a casting announcement: Tatiana Maslany will be play Jennifer Walters.

Moon Knight

Moon Knight

Not heard of Moon Knight? Don’t fret. Effectively acting as Marvel’s answer to Batman, Marc Spector is an uber-rich crimefighter, except his playboy persona is often shown as being part of Spector’s multiple personality disorder. It could’ve been a little too Tony Stark-lite but, now Robert Downey Jr.’s character is out of the MCU, it might be time for moneybags Moon Knight to step up to the plate in his TV show. No casting has yet been announced but, much like with She-Hulk, we also have a logo to tide us over until the next wave of news crashes over us. 

Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four Marvel movie

We had an inkling this was coming ever since Disney bought Fox. Still, it's nice to get official confirmation. Jon Watts will be directing, though no cast members have been announced yet for Marvel's First Family.

A new Avengers movie

Avengers Phase 4

Not to be confused with New Avengers (though that could certainly make its way to the MCU beyond Phase 4), a new Avengers movie, or at least a new Avengers team has been briefly touched upon by Kevin Feige.

Feige told MTV News that "[The Avengers] will be a very different incarnation of the team with some people you’ve already met and some you haven’t met yet."

No word yet on anything other than that, but expect Earth's Mightiest Heroes to make their presence keenly felt after 2022.

[The_King]

Not interested in all the character at all, so i skip all of them

 

only interested in iron man, ghost rider and Lucifer

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by The_King

[XianGe]

Need $12per mth to watch the MCU series... 

[Homelander]

Waiting for the movies to be released...Black Panther also no more liao...gg

[XianGe]

3 hours ago, Homelander said:

Waiting for the movies to be released...Black Panther also no more liao...gg

No new avengers movie for next 1yr... Surprised Spiderman so fast part 3 while gotg/antman/etc much later then come out... Mayb contract wif Sony sexpiring... Spiderman 3 will hab Tobey + Andrew... Tink will hab carnage... 

Edited December 13, 2020 by XianGe

[Homelander]

3 hours ago, XianGe said:

No new avengers movie for next 1yr... Surprised Spiderman so fast part 3 while gotg/antman/etc much later then come out... Mayb contract wif Sony sexpiring... Spiderman 3 will hab Tobey + Andrew... Tink will hab carnage... 

 

Maybe they are doing the spiderman multiverse? Different versions of spiderman appearing

[XianGe]

2 hours ago, Homelander said:

 

Maybe they are doing the spiderman multiverse? Different versions of spiderman appearing

 

Ya... Possible... Last time watch the animation it ties wif carnage arc

[XianGe]

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by XianGe

[Homelander]

Hawkeye also got his series...think will be like Antman, little fanfare

[The_King]

need this movie

 

[aaur4man]

just finished wandavision.......omg elizabeth olsen moi goddessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

 

cant wait for doctor strange since she will be in it as well

 

black widow should be next big hit