The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Brendan Morrow, Staff Writer

November 15, 2022 at 5:58 a.m.·29 min read

With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in the rearview, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are already looking ahead to 2026, when the franchise's next Avengers: Endgame-level event is set to be released. Between now and then, though, are a dizzying number of projects slated to introduce key characters and developments. Here's everything we know about all of the upcoming MCU films and TV shows and how they fit into Marvel's road map:

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Nov. 25, 2022)

Get ready for some Christmas spirit in the sky. Following the first Disney+ "Special Presentation" Werewolf by Night comes this fun-filled holiday special starring the Guardians of the Galaxy from the writer and director of the Guardians films, James Gunn.

Set after Thor: Love and Thunder, the special finds Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) mourning the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) decide to travel to Earth to get Peter the perfect Christmas present in an effort to cheer him up — which involves trying to kidnap Kevin Bacon, played by the real Kevin Bacon.

Michael Rooker is reportedly returning as Yondu, likely in a flashback since the character died in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. But Gunn has said not all of the Guardians appear in the special, presumably meaning Gamora will be absent, and he has described the special as the "epilogue" of Phase Four.

Gunn wrote and directed the special while in production for 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and the holiday special will also reportedly introduce Maria Bakalova as the voice of Cosmo the Spacedog, who, in the comics, was a test animal for the Soviet Union's space program and has telepathic powers.

The special will be about 40 minutes long, though it apparently won't be a mere filler story. Gunn told Collider "you're gonna learn stuff that you need to learn before" Vol. 3. And yes, it will feature one of the franchise's signature "Awesome Mix" soundtracks, so prepare to have lots of '70s songs stuck in your head this holiday season.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Feb. 17, 2023)

The first movie of Phase Five, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, looks like a crucial stop on the road to Marvel's next major event film as it will introduce the franchise's new big bad: Kang the Conqueror.

In the forthcoming third Ant-Man film, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Scott's daughter Cassie (who has been recast and is now played by Kathryn Newton) end up in the Quantum Realm, the microscopic universe where Janet disappeared before being rescued in the last movie, 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp. Along the way, they'll reportedly encounter Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors.

In the season one finale of Loki, Majors appeared as a mysterious man from the end of time, referred to as He Who Remains, who claimed to be protecting the universe from infinite versions of himself from other timelines. After he is killed, his ominous last words are, "I'll see you soon." So in Quantumania, we'll meet a "variant" of He Who Remains from another timeline named Kang, who is expected to be the next overarching villain of the MCU, similar to Thanos. After all, the next Avengers film (due out in 2025) is named after Kang. That said, it isn't entirely clear whether the variant of Kang seen in Quantumania will be the same one in future movies. It's always possible that, for example, Kang could be killed by the end of the film, only for another version of him to pop up courtesy of a different timeline.

Also making his MCU debut in Quantumania is Bill Murray, who has confirmed he's playing a "bad guy." The film will also introduce MODOK, a villain from comics with a giant head whose name stands for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. The Good Place's William Jackson Harper will pop up as well, though his role hasn't been revealed. Plus, Randall Park is back as Jimmy Woo, presumably to show off his refined close-up magic skills.

Notably, Scott's daughter Cassie is one of several characters in the MCU who joined the Young Avengers in the comics, in addition to America Chavez, Wanda's kids, and others. Cassie goes on to become a superhero in her own right, known as Stature, so it's possible she could take on that mantle by the end of Quantumania, setting up a future Young Avengers crossover and even allowing her to lead the franchise when or if Rudd wants to leave.

What If...? season 2 (Early 2023)

The Disney+ animated series What If…?, which explores alternate universes and imagines how events from the franchise might have played out differently, is slated for another season that will debut in early 2023.

One of the new episodes is expected to be based on the Black Widow film, and we'll reportedly see Tony Stark on Sakaar, the planet from Thor: Ragnarok. An episode centered around Tony and Gamora, originally intended for season one, was delayed to season two. Cate Blanchett is also reportedly voicing her Thor character, Hela.

The season two premiere was shown at Comic-Con, and it's another episode about Captain Carter, this time based on Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The title is "What If … Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper," and the same way Steve Rogers finds out in The Winter Solider that his friend Bucky has been turned evil, Peggy finds out that Steve is evil and has become the Hydra Stomper, as described by Slashfilm.

A third season has already been confirmed.

Secret Invasion (Spring 2023)

This six-episode Disney+ series is based on a comic storyline that reveals the shape-shifting alien Skrulls have infiltrated the Earth, secretly replacing people in the Marvel universe. (It's not to be confused with Secret Wars, which is being adapted into an Avengers movie.)

Samuel L. Jackson returns to Earth in Secret Invasion as Nick Fury, who's been in space for years, as teased in the Spider-Man: Far From Home credits — and we'll see him without the eye patch this time. Cobie Smulders also stars as Maria Hill, and Ben Mendelsohn reprises his role as Talos, the Skrull leader from Captain Marvel who has been working with Fury and even impersonated him in Far From Home.

Martin Freeman returns as Everett Ross after reprising the role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, although that film left him in an interesting spot. Spoiler alert: Ross was arrested at the end of the film after being accused of treason by CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), though he's freed by the Wakandans. Presumably, Secret Invasion will follow up on that and perhaps depict Ross now working on his own — unless the show is set before Wakanda Forever.

It would also make sense for Valentina to return now that we know she's director of the CIA, which you'd assume would factor into this espionage story. Louis-Dreyfus hasn't been announced as part of the Secret Invasion cast, but then again, her appearance in Wakanda Forever was a surprise, too. But we do know that Don Cheadle is back as War Machine. Could another inexplicable Emmy nomination be in store?

In terms of new characters, Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke makes her MCU debut. Her role has been kept a secret, though a GIF shared by Marvel suggested she's playing a character who in the comics works for S.W.O.R.D., the intelligence agency we previously saw in WandaVision. Olivia Colman also stars as Special Agent Sonya Falsworth, an ally of Fury's, while Kingsley Ben-Adir reportedly plays a rebel Skrull leader.

Captain Marvel revealed that the Skrulls, led by Ben Mendelsohn's Talos, weren't the bad guys. But presumably, we'll see in Secret Invasion that the entire race isn't as friendly as him. The trailer suggests the show will have a spy thriller tone, so this is one Captain America: The Winter Solider fans can look forward to.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was briefly thrown off its schedule when writer and director James Gunn was fired in 2018 over offensive tweets. But he's since been brought back to complete the trilogy, and he has described Vol. 3 as the "last time people will see this team of Guardians" — leading to speculation one or more of them could bite the dust. It will also, presumably, be the last time Gunn ever works with Marvel, as he has been hired to oversee the DC franchise.

Vol. 3 is expected to grapple with the loss of Gamora, who was killed in Avengers: Infinity War by her adoptive father, Thanos. But Zoe Saldaña returns in Vol. 3 as a version of Gamora from another timeline, who disappeared at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Peter Quill's (Chris Pratt) last scene in that film showed he was looking for her, though this version of Gamora isn't in love with him.

In addition to all the returning characters, Will Poulter has been cast in the film as Adam Warlock, a fan-favorite character who in the comics played a role in the events of Infinity War. A credits scene in Vol. 2 showed Elizabeth Debicki's Ayesha, High Priestess of the Sovereign, creating Adam Warlock as part of an effort to destroy the Guardians; Debicki is returning in Vol 3, as well. Chukwudi Iwuji will also be playing the High Evolutionary, who is attempting to create the perfect species, while Maria Bakalova voices Cosmo the Spacedog after first appearing in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Gunn has said he felt compelled to return for Vol. 3 especially to finish off the storyline of Rocket (Bradley Cooper). "I knew that that was what started me on this journey, was seeing who he could be and who he was, where he came from, and the thing that grounded me initially in the Guardians," he told Entertainment Weekly. Based on quotes like that, fans aren't feeling great about Rocket's odds of survival.

Echo (Summer 2023)

Alaqua Cox starred as Maya Lopez, leader of the Tracksuit Mafia, in 2021's Hawkeye, and she's getting her own Disney+ spinoff series called Echo in 2023.

Cox returns in the lead role as the deaf Native American character, and Vincent D'Onofrio will also be back as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, her adoptive uncle — despite Maya shooting him point blank at the end of Hawkeye; he's now wearing an eye patch in Echo, according to footage shown at the D23 Expo. The plot sees Maya returning to her hometown, where she must "face her past" and "reconnect with her Native American roots," per Marvel.com.

Charlie Cox is also continuing his Daredevil comeback tour by once again reprising Matt Murdock after appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk. It's not clear how substantial Cox's role will be, but the show could set the stage for him to face off with Kingpin in the upcoming Daredevil Disney+ series.

Loki season 2 (Summer 2023)

Tom Hiddleston returns for a second season of Loki, the first of Marvel's live-action Disney+ shows to get a follow-up season.

One would expect this to be the next Marvel project after Quantumania to deal with Kang the Conqueror, although it hasn't been confirmed that Jonathan Majors will reprise the role. But the first season ended with Loki, after the death of He Who Remains at the end of time, finding himself in another timeline where nobody recognizes him and a statue of Kang has been erected at the Time Variance Authority headquarters.

Joining the cast this season will be Everything Everywhere All at Once star Ke Huy Quan, reportedly as a member of the TVA, and Rafael Casal in an unknown role. Writer Michael Waldron has described the season as a "great continuation of that story that feels different from season one and hopefully will subvert expectations."

But Kate Herron, who directed every episode of the first season and served as executive producer, isn't returning. "I always planned to be just on for this [first season]," she told Deadline.

The Marvels (July 28, 2023)

Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is getting some new friends for her sequel The Marvels, which is simultaneously a follow-up to three different Marvel projects: Captain Marvel, WandaVision, and Ms. Marvel.

Larson returns as Carol Danvers in the film, which is effectively Captain Marvel 2. But Iman Vellani also stars as Captain Marvel superfan Kamala Khan from the Disney+ Ms. Marvel series, while Teyonah Parris returns as Monica Rambeau from WandaVision. Monica is the daughter of Carol's best friend, Maria, and she was played by Akira Akbar in the original Captain Marvel, which was set in the 1990s. WandaVision revealed Monica's mother died during "The Blip," the five years that followed Thanos' snap.

The plot of The Marvels was teased in a credits scene of the Ms. Marvel finale, where Kamala's bangle appears to have caused her to swap places with Carol, who is suddenly transported into Kamala's bedroom and seems confused about how she got there. This credits scene was shot by Nia DaCosta, director of The Marvels, so it may have been taken directly from the film. Footage shown at D23 indicates that every time Carol, Kamala, or Monica use their powers, they swap places with one another. Samuel L. Jackson is also returning as Nick Fury, and Zawe Ashton is reportedly playing the villain.

The Marvels will be the first time fans get to see Kamala Khan meet her hero Carol Danvers, who inspired her to become a superhero herself, as well as the first time we see Carol interact with the adult version of Monica Rambeau, who also gained powers during WandaVision. WandaVision, though, appeared to suggest Monica may hold some resentment toward Carol for leaving her and her mother as a child and possibly never returning to Earth until Avengers: Endgame.

"Little Monica had a relationship with Carol Danvers, and we'll get to see what happens with that relationship, and how or if, it brings them to the present," Parris told Variety.

X-Men '97 (Fall 2023)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gave a major shout-out to X-Men: The Animated Series by calling back its theme — and now, that classic cartoon from the 1990s is getting a revival on Disney+ called X-Men '97. It appears likely the events won't be canon to the MCU or at least won't take place in the main timeline, sort of like how the Professor X we saw in Multiverse of Madness was from another universe.

Still, it will be the first major X-Men project from Marvel Studios since Disney's acquisition of Fox, and a second season has already been confirmed.

Ironheart (Late 2023)

Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams played a major role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which sets her up to be the successor to Tony Stark in the MCU and leads into her own Disney+ series, Ironheart.

Riri is a young inventor who builds a suit of armor similar to the ones used by Tony Stark, and producer Nate Moore told CinemaBlend Ironheart will be a "direct sequel" to Wakanda Forever. Presumably, the show will pick up as Riri arrives home from Wakanda, where there may or may not be repercussions for running from the FBI.

Anthony Ramos will star as Parker Robbins, who in the comics is a villain known as The Hood. At D23, Ramos described his character as a "misfit" who "wants to take in other misfits," and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said the character "deals in the dark arts," noting, "We've had technological heroes and villains, we've had people with magic, we've never seen them at the same time," per The Wrap. Alden Ehrenreich, who played the young Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, has also reportedly joined the cast in what Deadline described as a "key role."

Based on Wakanda Forever, it wouldn't be surprising if Letitia Wright's Shuri or perhaps Danai Gurira's Okoye pops up for a cameo in Ironheart at some point, though that hasn't been confirmed.

Agatha: Coven of Chaos (2023)

One of two spinoffs of WandaVision reported to be in the works is Agatha: Coven of Chaos, which sees Kathryn Hahn return as her villainous witch character. Last we saw Agatha, Wanda had trapped her inside the town of Westview, forcing her to continue living out her fake persona as the "nosy neighbor."

Parks and Recreation's Aubrey Plaza has reportedly joined the cast of Coven of Chaos, possibly as the villain, and Heartstopper's Joe Locke will reportedly have a role, while Emma Caulfield returns as Wanda's neighbor Dottie. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the series comes from Jac Schaeffer, creator of WandaVision, and Variety reported it will be a "dark comedy."

As of now, there is no confirmation that Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch will be in the show. Scarlet Witch was supposedly killed at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in the process of destroying the Darkhold, but the death wasn't definitive, so fans are convinced she's still alive. Olsen's return to the MCU hasn't been confirmed, though it would make sense for her to have a cameo here.

Some fans have also speculated Marvel might eventually adapt a storyline called The Children's Crusade, which could involve Wanda's kids searching for her. There's been speculation the seeds of that project could be planted in Coven of Chaos, even if only in a post-credits scene.

Daredevil: Born Again (Spring 2024)

Court is back in session.

Six years after his Netflix series was canceled, Daredevil is getting another chance on Disney+. This new series will see Charlie Cox return as Matt Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio return as Wilson Fisk, both of whom originated the roles on Netflix's Daredevil, though they'll both first appear in the Echo show in 2023.

Notably, the first season of Born Again will consist of a whopping 18 episodes, making it far longer than all the live-action MCU Disney+ shows so far. It hasn't been confirmed if Matt's friends Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, played by Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll, will return.

We also don't know to what degree the show will be a continuation of the Netflix one, or how much it might feel like a light reboot that retains the same cast. But Cox told Extra, "It is a Season 1, it is not Season 4, so it is a whole new thing. Which I think is the way to go. If you are going to do it again, do it differently."

Captain America: New World Order (May 3, 2024)

After the Captain America mantle was passed to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame, and after he accepted the mantle in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, our new Captain America is finally getting his own film: Captain America: New World Order, which is being co-written by the creator of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Malcolm Spellman. It will be directed by Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox).

Plot details haven't been revealed, but the film is set to bring a huge movie star to the MCU: Harrison Ford, who will reportedly appear in the film as Thunderbolt Ross, the character previously played by the late William Hurt. Tim Blake Nelson is also returning as his character from 2008's The Incredible Hulk, Samuel Sterns. Last we saw him, Sterns had gotten Bruce Banner's blood on his forehead, implying he would turn into the villain The Leader — so it appears New World Order will finally follow up on that. It only took 16 years!

Shira Haas will play Sabra, a character who in the comics serves in the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, though Marvel said it's taking a "new approach" with her after criticism from some Palestinian groups. Carl Lumbly will also reprise Isaiah Bradley, the veteran he played in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Thunderbolts (July 26, 2024)

Ever since 2021's The Falcon and the Winter Solider, Marvel has teased that Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (who Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reveals is director of the CIA) is putting together a team for some unspecified purpose, and this all appears to be leading to the formation of the Thunderbolts — essentially, Marvel's equivalent of DC's Suicide Squad, a group of antihero Avengers.

The film's team will consist of Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, David Harbour's Red Guardian, and Olga Kurylenko's Taskmaster from Black Widow; Wyatt Russell's John Walker and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; and Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost from Ant-Man and the Wasp. Louis-Dreyfus also returns as Valentina. There have been conflicting reports about whether Ford will return as Thunderbolt to lead the team, though. Jake Schreier (Paper Towns) directs, while Eric Pearson, the screenwriter behind Black Widow, wrote the script.

We don't know much about the plot of Thunderbolts yet, though the events of Wakanda Forever led some fans to speculate that Valentina could task the team with stealing Vibranium from Wakanda — a mission Bucky would surely have a problem with considering he has a good relationship with the Wakandans. At Comic-Con 2022, Thunderbolts was described as the last film of Phase Five.

Blade (Sept. 6, 2024)

Mahershala Ali will debut as the vampire hunter character previously portrayed by Wesley Snipes in Blade, though we technically heard him already in Eternals. A post-credit scene showed Kit Harington's Dane Whitman about to pick up a sword before a voice, later identified as Blade, asks, "Sure you're ready for that, Mr. Whitman?"

Once he's introduced, Blade will presumably interact with characters from the supernatural corner of the MCU like Oscar Isaac's Moon Knight and Gael García Bernal's Werewolf by Night; in the comics, all three have been part of a supernatural group called the Midnight Sons, and there has been speculation Marvel could be setting up an eventual Midnight Sons film or TV series.

Blade was previously slated for 2023, though it was delayed a year after some behind-the-scenes issues. In September 2022, director Bassam Tariq left the film shortly before production was set to begin, and preproduction was then put on pause.

By November 2022, a new director was found: Yann Demange, who directed the pilot episode of HBO's Lovecraft Country. Tariq congratulated "my dear brother" Demange on the gig. "Y'all are in for a real treat," he said on Instagram, adding, "I am proud to support him as he has supported me."

Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter said Michael Starrbury, who worked on Netflix's When They See Us, has been tapped to write an entirely new script for Blade. According to the report, the movie is getting a "page one rewrite," and Ali was "personally involved" in hiring the new writer. Production will reportedly begin in 2023.

Deadpool 3 (Nov. 8, 2024)

The "Merc with a Mouth" is officially joining the MCU.

Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool previously existed in the Fox-owned X-Men universe, which was separate from Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe. But after Disney's acquisition of Fox, Deadpool 3 will be the first film of Reynolds' series set in the MCU — and it's still expected to be rated R, which will also make it the first R-rated MCU movie.

But this isn't the only hook, as Hugh Jackman is surprisingly set to return as Wolverine, even though he swore he wouldn't play the character again after being killed off in 2017's Logan. That film, though, was set in the future, so he won't need to be resurrected for Deadpool. "Logan takes place in 2029," Reynolds explained. "Totally separate thing. Logan died in Logan. We're not touching that."

Speaking with Variety, Jackman also explained he started to question his retirement decision after watching the first Deadpool and immediately envisioning a movie like 48 Hrs. that would pair him and Reynolds together.

Shawn Levy, who directed Free Guy, is re-teaming with Reynolds to helm the film, which is expected to be the first of Phase Six. It's not yet clear how Deadpool will enter the MCU or if it will even be explained, though having him jump universes — and comment on that in his signature meta fashion — would make sense.

Spider-Man: Freshman Year (2024)

This animated Disney+ series will explore Peter Parker's origins as Spider-Man in his freshman year of high school, which we skipped over in the Tom Holland movies.

But the show will notably be set in an alternate universe and not the main MCU timeline — Norman Osborn takes the role of mentor that Tony Stark filled in the movies, for example.

It looks like this will be almost like an extension of What If…?, imagining how Peter's story could have played out differently, rather than an actual look at the origin of Holland's Spider-Man. It's set to get a follow-up, Spider-Man: Sophomore Year. Charlie Cox is returning to voice Daredevil, making this the third upcoming Marvel project he's confirmed for. The man is keeping busy!

Marvel Zombies (2024)

An episode of What If…? took place in a zombie apocalypse (and was simply titled "What if… Zombies?!"), and that has now spawned this spinoff series Marvel Zombies, also the name of a run of comics. It will only consist of four episodes.

The show "reimagines the Marvel Universe as a new generation of heroes battle against an ever-spreading zombie scourge," the plot synopsis says, and it will feature characters like Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, Shang-Chi, and Kamala Khan.

Fantastic Four (Feb. 14, 2025)

Comic fans have been waiting years for someone to make a truly great Fantastic Four movie, and now it's the MCU's turn to get a crack at it.

Like Deadpool and X-Men, Fantastic Four is another property that Marvel gained the rights to following Disney's acquisition of Fox. The casting of the Fantastic Four is one of the most anticipated bits of Marvel news on the horizon, and it still hasn't been unveiled. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, John Krasinski had a cameo as Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, which came after years of fans suggesting him for the role. But that was in an alternate universe, so it's not clear if Krasinski will be Reed Richards in the main universe or if that was just a one-time thing to nod at fans.

Fantastic Four was originally set to be directed by Spider-Man: No Way Home's Jon Watts, but he dropped out and was replaced by Matt Shakman, who directed every episode of WandaVision.

The movie could also potentially feature a payoff roughly seven years in the making. Spider-Man: Homecoming, from 2017, included a crucial plot point that Tony Stark was selling the Avengers Tower in New York City, but we never found out who the buyer was. Ever since, some fans have speculated the tower will be turned into the Baxter Building, the headquarters of the Fantastic Four. So could the Fantastic Four movie finally answer that question? (Alternatively, other fans have speculated the building was bought by Norman Osborn's company Oscorp, which could be revealed in a future Spider-Man film.)

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (May 2, 2025)

At a Comic-Con panel in July 2022, Marvel stunned fans by revealing not one, but two Avengers films, the first being Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

This film is where all the business with Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror is leading, and the title comes from a comic book storyline where Kang actually does successfully take over the world.

Other than the general idea that the Avengers will fight Kang, we don't know much about the plot of the film or what the Avengers line-up will look like by the time it arrives. But the film will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and written by Jeff Loveness, who is handling Kang's introduction by writing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Avengers: Secret Wars (May 1, 2026)

Here it is: the big one. The film with the potential to be an even larger box office smash than Avengers: Endgame.

Just like with Endgame (2019) and Infinity War (2018), Secret Wars is scheduled to be released just one year after The Kang Dynasty, and it will be the grand conclusion to Marvel's Multiverse Saga. In the comics, there are two major events known as "Secret Wars," but fans generally assume Marvel will draw more from the 2015 storyline, which involves different universes being combined.

Admittedly, Marvel never adapts comic storylines to the letter. But based on how much the MCU has focused on the multiverse lately, Secret Wars could see something similar, where the multiverse collapses into itself and many different universes are combined. That would give Marvel an infinite sandbox for ideas without the peskiness of contradictions or continuity, since practically any character could come into play with the simple explanation that they come from another universe. There has even been speculation this could allow for the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Chris Evans as Captain America, as they could play versions of those characters from other timelines. But really, absolutely anyone in Marvel history is in play, from Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man to even Ben Affleck's Daredevil.

No director has been announced for Secret Wars. It was originally set to be released just six months after The Kang Dynasty, though Marvel has since changed up those plans. Nevertheless, the nearness of release dates seems to suggest they're being conceived as another two-parter, and The Kang Dynasty may end with an "all is lost" cliffhanger similar to Infinity War.

Wonder Man (TBD)

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will reportedly star in this Disney+ series as Wonder Man, who in the comics was originally a villain before becoming a hero and one of the founders of the West Coast Avengers. His father was an industrialist named Sanford Williams, and he undergoes an experiment that gives him superpowers after he teams up with Baron Zemo, Marvel.com explains.

Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Shang-Chi and The Kang Dynasty, is developing the show, which doesn't have a release date yet.

Vision Quest (TBD)

Another WandaVision spinoff about Vision is reportedly in the works, to be called Vision Quest, as revealed by Jeff Sneider of The Hot Mic podcast and confirmed by Deadline.

The original Vision was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, and in WandaVision, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) created a fantasy sitcom world to see him again. But then the real Vision's body was used to create "White Vision," which, by the end of WandaVision, gained all of the original Vision's memories — meaning, in a sense, a version of the original Vision is back, just seemingly without his emotional connection to Wanda.

Vision Quest will finally follow up on that, and according to Deadline, it will revolve around Vision as he tries to "regain his memory and humanity." Deadline also says it's possible Olsen could appear as Wanda. That hasn't been confirmed, but it may be difficult to do an entire Vision series without her.

Armor Wars (TBD)

Marvel confirmed in 2020 that it would finally be giving a spotlight to James Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, Tony Stark's friend played by Don Cheadle since Iron Man 2. He was set to lead the Disney+ series Armor Wars, in which Rhodes "must face what happens when Tony Stark's tech falls into the wrong hands," Disney said.

In September 2022, though, The Hollywood Reporter said the project was being reimagined as a movie rather than a show, and it's expected to receive a theatrical release.

No director has been attached, and a release date hasn't been confirmed. Since War Machine is set for a role in Secret Invasion, keep an eye out for potential hints of the Armor Wars plot there. It could also be set up in Ironheart, considering that the series is centered around a character with Tony Stark-esque tech.

Shang-Chi 2 (TBD)

A sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was reported to be in the works in 2021, with director Destin Daniel Cretton expected to return. It isn't clear when it will be released, though it presumably won't happen until Cretton is finished with 2025's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Untitled Wakanda show / Untitled Okoye show (TBD)

In February 2021, Disney said Black Panther director Ryan Coogler's company had signed a five-year television deal, and Coogler was set to develop a new series set in the kingdom of Wakanda. No major updates have been revealed since then, though, and ahead of Wakanda Forever's release, producer Nate Moore told Collider it's "probably not as far along as people want it to be."

In 2021, Deadline also reported that Danai Gurira's Okoye would return for a spinoff series on Disney+, but there hasn't been much of an update on that, either. Wakanda Forever gives her spiffy new Midnight Angels armor and seems to leave her in a good place for a spinoff, though Deadline's report said it would be an origin series.

Untitled Nova project (TBD)

In March 2022, Deadline reported Marvel was developing a project about Nova written by Sabir Pirzada, who worked on the Disney+ series Moon Knight. The report said it wasn't clear whether this will be a film or a Disney+ show. But Nova, a.k.a. Richard Rider, is a fan favorite from the comics, and he serves in the Nova Corps, the police force we've already seen in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Could Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 set the stage for his introduction?