The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is finally kicking back into gear. After a barren start to the year, we're edging closer to the release dates for Marvel Studios' first 2022 offerings. And, based on what we've seen so far, it's going to be another big year for Kevin Feige and company.
Moon Knight and Doctor Strange 2's arrivals, in late March and early May respectively, will lead another bumper year of Marvel movies and TV shows. These will include new adventures for Thor and Black Panther, as well as MCU introductions for the likes of Ms. Marvel on Disney Plus. So there's plenty to look forward to if you're a Marvel or general comic book fan.
There are tons of other projects in the works for Marvel Phase 4 and beyond, too, so the MCU juggernaut is showing no signs of slowing down. Suffice to say, the MCU is here to stay, so expect more MCU entries on our best superhero movies list very soon.
If you're after a full rundown of each Marvel Phase 4 production, you've come to the right place. Below, you'll find a complete release date schedule for every upcoming MCU movie and TV show, as well as some brief news on what each one is about. We've also compiled a list of other projects that are in the works, but we're unsure if they'll be part of Marvel Phase 4 or not.
Potential spoilers follow for all upcoming Marvel film and TV series. You've been warned.
Marvel Phase 4 release dates
Marvel Phase 4 release dates: movies and TV shows coming soon
Many of Marvel’s Phase 4 projects have official launch dates, though some key releases are ambiguous for now. Read on for a list of confirmed launch dates for the studio's movie and TV show slate, as well as tentative launch windows for other Marvel Phase 4 productions.
- Moon Knight (March 30, 2022)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6, 2022)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8, 2022)
- Ms. Marvel (summer 2022)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November 11, 2022)
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (December 2022)
- She-Hulk (expected in 2022)
- Secret Invasion (expected in 2022)
- The Marvels (February 17, 2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (July 28, 2023)
- Fantastic Four (TBA)
- Blade (TBA)
Marvel Phase 4 movies
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Release date: May 8, 2022
Doctor Strange 2 is the next Marvel Phase 4 movie set to arrive in theaters, and it’ll give us a better understanding of the multiverse.
Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as Stephen Strange and a number of Doctor Strange variants including Sinister Strange and Defender Strange. He’ll be joined by Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong’s Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Baron Mordo/Master Mordo, Rachel McAdams’ Christine Palmer, and Michael Stuhlbarg's Nicodemus West from the first movie.
Newcomer Xochitl Gomez will also portray America Chavez, a relative newcomer to Marvel comics' superhero line-up, while Patrick Stewart returns as Professor X from Fox's defunct X-Men universe. Hey, this is a multiverse movie, so expect plenty more in the way of shock and fan service-style cameos throughout.
Following a teaser that arrived in late December, an official trailer was released on February 13 that gave us our best look yet at the mind-boggling, multiverse-traversing movie to come. You can check out our trailer breakdown for more on what it contains. And, despite six weeks worth of intense reshoots were completed in mid-January, Doctor Strange 2 remains on track to launch in May.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Release date: July 8, 2022
The only Avenger to receive a fourth solo movie (so far, anyway), Thor’s MCU arc will continue in summer 2022. Like No Way Home and Doctor Strange 2, Thor: Love and Thunder will be a mini-Avengers movie of sorts, as it'll also star the Guardians of the Galaxy, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, and see Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster return as alter-ego Mighty Thor.
Currently, we don’t know much about its plot. According to director Taika Waititi, it’ll draw inspiration from Jason Aaron’s Mighty Thor comic series, which sees Foster gain superpowers similar to Thor while undergoing cancer treatment. We also know that Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, Vice) will portray Gorr the God Butcher, the movie’s antagonist, while Waititi calls Thor 4 the “craziest film [he’s] ever done”. Fingers crossed that’s genuine and not hyperbole.
Alleged concept art concerning Thor and Jane Foster's Mighty Thor looks has appeared online recently, which may hint at the film's surreal and bright 1980s-style visuals. According to online rumors, a teaser trailer could be on the way soon, too. Fingers crossed it does.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release date: November 11, 2022
Perhaps the most poignant Marvel film currently in production, and with good reason. Black Panther’s MCU journey will continue without the iconic Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in August 2020 after a four-year battle with cancer. Marvel chose not to recast T’Challa in honor of Boseman, and Wakanda Forever’s plot has been reshaped five times, according by director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole, as a result.
Lupita Nyongo’s Nakia, Letitia Wright’s Shuri, Angela Bassett’s Ramonda and Danai Gurira’s Okoye are all returning from the first film. Martin Freeman and Winston Duke, too, are back as Everett Ross and M’Baku respectively. I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel has also been cast in an undisclosed role. Meanwhile, Doja Cat and Stormzy have apparently been tapped to produce the film's soundtrack (per NME).
Wakanda Forever will also introduce a live-action version of Ironheart, aka Riri Williams, a genius inventor and MIT student who creates her own Iron Man-style armor suit. Expect Tony Stark’s MCU successor to play a big role in proceedings, then, as well as one of the established cast assuming the mantle of Black Panther at some point. Or, according to The Cosmic Circus, multiple actors will wear the Black Panther suit in the sequel.
Filming had been on hold due to an injury suffered by Wright in late 2021, and was expected to start up again in the new year. Recent behind-the-scenes images show that production is back underway, and teases the appearance of the Atlantean king/superhero known as Namor.
The Marvels
Release date: February 17, 2023
While technically a Captain Marvel sequel, this Nia DaCosta-directed film will see a female superhero-only team up on the big screen for the first time. That is, if you discount Avengers: Endgame's all-female ensemble during the climactic battle against Thanos' forces.
Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers will reunite with Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Danvers’ best friend Maria (Lashana Lynch) from the first movie. The last time we saw Rambeau, she had acquired her own superpowers in WandaVision, so expect an awkward and superpowered family-style reunion between the pair.
Elsewhere, Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel will also make her live-action movie debut. Vellani’s Kamala Khan will star in her own Disney Plus show first, which is coming in summer 2022, so we’ll be introduced to her then. Zawe Ashton (Velvet Buzzsaw) has also been cast as the movie’s villain, while Park Seo-joon (Parasite) will play an as-yet-unnamed character.
Filming has wrapped on the film, but it won't land in theaters for another year or so.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Release date: May 5, 2023
One of three movies now set to arrive in 2023, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will bring the curtain down on the trilogy that James Gunn has helmed since 2014.
Guardians 3 will be set after Thor: Love and Thunder and the Guardians’ forthcoming Disney Plus Holiday special. But, outside of some potential line-up changes – David Bautista won’t return as Drax after Guardians 3, while Gunn has teased some major character deaths in the threequel – we don’t know much about this flick. One thing we do know is that Will Poulter has been cast as Adam Warlock, whose appearance was teased in Guardians 2's post-credits scene.
Filming began in November 2021 and is expected to end in April 2022, so some things may leak out during this period. And they have, with Murphy's Multiverse reporting that Chukwudi Iwuji reportedly the movie's main villain, though we won't spoil who that is here. Gunn has confirmed that Iwuji had joined the cast, and told Collider that Marvel Studios are “stoked” for what they've seen and read about Guardians 3. But he also revealed that the film will be “different than what people are going to expect”. So should we get the tissues ready now, or…
Thankfully, Guardians 3's release date wasn't moved as part of Marvel's schedule restructuring, so it's still slated to arrive in May 2023.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Release date: July 28, 2023
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which arrives in summer 2023, could properly introduce us to the MCU’s next big bad after Thanos.
Little is known about this film’s plot, but we do know that its antagonist will be none other than Kang the Conqueror. The time traveling genius will be played by Jonathan Majors, who portrayed one of Kang’s time variants – He Who Remains – in Loki season 1. And his official arrival could have huge repercussions for the MCU moving forward.
Majors’ Kang aside, Ant-Man 3 will also see the return of Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathryn Newton as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Hope van Dyne/Wasp, Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne and Cassie Lang. Legendary actor Bill Murray will also have a role in proceedings, and he recently teased that he may be a bad guy alongside Majors' Kang. Prominent leaker MyTimetoShineHello has also claimed that MODOK will appear in the film and, given their track record, MODOK may well feature.
Peyton Reed, who directed the first two Ant-Man flicks, returns in the hot seat and has hinted that the Quantum Realm will play a big role in proceedings. Principal photography wrapped in November 2021, but expect a lengthy post-production phase (and potential reshoots) for this one.
Fantastic Four
Release date: TBA
This Phase 4 movie is a biggie. A Fantastic Four MCU film is on the way, but there’s very little in the way of information surrounding it at the moment. And that includes when it'll be released.
Jon Watts, who has directed all three Spider-Man MCU films, will take charge of its production. Watts is also set to revive the Final Destination film franchise, but his work on that (he's only producing the series' next movie) shouldn't impact any of Fantastic Four's pre-production.
And it seems that the pieces are starting to fall into place for the film, too. MyTimeToShineHello and KnightEdgeMedia's Caleb Williams had claimed that Marvel has begun the casting process to find its Mr. Fantastic, Sue Storm, Human Torch and The Thing. It seems that one of those roles has already been cast, too, but it may be a while before Marvel confirms anything cast-related.
Blade
Release date: TBA
After his off-screen cameo in Eternals, Blade is getting his own solo movie.
So far, we know it'll star Mahershala Ali as the titular vampire hunter, will be directed by Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) and Stacy Osei-Kuffour (Watchmen, Hunters) is penning the script. Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods, The Harder They Fall) was also recently added to its cast, while Marvel is said to be looking for a South East Asian actor and North African actress to add to Blade's cast. Finally, Murphy's Multiverse has alleged that Blade is looking to build a vampire-hunting team as part of the movie's plot.
Those rumors aside, there's no word on when filming will begin and when the movie will be released. Could a team up with Kit Harington's Black Knight, however, be on the cards? According to a Marvel VFX supervisor, it's a possibility (per CBR). We'll have to wait and see, though.
Marvel Phase 4 TV shows
Moon Knight
Release date: March 30
Moon Knight wasn't on many peoples' radars for a long time, but the release of its official trailer soon changed all of that. A large part of that is down to the more mature, gritty vibe on display, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has confirmed (via Empire) that Marvel is going all-in on this new style and tone. So expect to see more violence and deeper character studies at play.
For the uninitiated, Moon Knight is about Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac), a superhero dealing with dissociative identity disorder who is gifted superpowers by the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Ethan Hawke will star opposite Isaac as the mysterious villain known as Arthur Harrow, though we believe that's just an alias for his real identity.
Expect Isaac to inhabit multiple versions of his character, which we've already seen in the show's release footage, as well as Egyptian iconography to play a big part in the show's visual direction. For more on Moon Knight, check out our trailer breakdown for the series' first teaser.
Ms. Marvel
Release date: Summer 2022 (July to September)
Originally expected in 2021 but now set to land in summer 2022 (that's between July and September in Disney's fiscal year), Ms. Marvel introduces Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) to the MCU – its first Muslim superhero, and also the breakout star of the Marvel's Avengers game released last year.
She's a breath of fresh air as superhero characters go, with a Spider-Man-like origin story that makes her feel very complete from the off. As mentioned, this show will tie in to The Marvels, with Vellani reprising her role in that movie.
Filming concluded in May 2021 but, save for some brief snippets at Disney's Investor Day in December 2020 and during the recent Disney Plus Day reveals, we haven't seen anything of the series. The show underwent reshoots in Atlanta recently (per Atlanta Filming), hence why its release date was pushed back. Its pick-ups are thought to be “minimal” at most, however, so hopefully we'll get an official release date and trailer soon.
She-Hulk
Release date: 2022 (expected)
She-Hulk should bring a different flavor to the MCU. Tatiana Maslany plays Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, in what's been described as a half-hour legal comedy, similar in vein to the Dan Slott comic from the mid-2000s that drew a lot of acclaim.
Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk will appaear, too, along with Tim Roth's Abomination. Don't be surprised if more deep cut MCU characters arrive to be put on trial, based on how the comic went down. Jameela Jamil will also play the show's villain Titania who, like Abomination, is a perfect match up for Walters' She-Hulk. Charlie Cox's Daredevil is also said to have a big supporting role in the series, while Liv Tyler's Betty Ross – last seen in Marvel's 2008 Hulk movie – could unexpectedly feature alongside Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones from Netflix's Marvel TV universe.
Like Ms. Marvel, we're hoping to see or hear more about a release date and trailer soon.
Secret Invasion
Release date: 2022 (expected)
This show could be huge. Secret Invasion will focus on the Skrulls, as seen in Captain Marvel, with Ben Mendelsohn's Talos and Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury being the show's leads. Kingsley Ben-Adir, Olivia Colman and Emilia Clarke are all part of the cast too, and we expect this to mark the next Avengers-level event in the MCU.
“It's about a sect of Skrulls who have infiltrated every level of life on Earth,” Kevin Feige said about the series back in December 2020. During Disney Plus Day, we were treated to a brief shot of a grizzled-looking Fury, complete with grey beard and no eye patch. Clarke and Colman's characters will be spies, although Clarke will also have powers, according to Murphy's Multiverse.
There have been slight murmurings that the show could be delayed until 2023 as it's supposed to run alongside The Marvels. With filming set to wrap shortly, though, we're confident it'll still arrive this year.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Release date: December 2022
Expected to be under 40 minutes long, this special will likely evoke the notoriously bad Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978, of which writer and director James Gunn is a fan. The main Guardians cast will feature, and it sounds like it's going to be canon – it's set before the third Guardians movie and after Thor: Love and Thunder.
Filming is taking place alongside Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, so we can expect principal photography to begin soon. However, Gunn recently told Collider that filming was yet to begin due to the threat of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Here's hoping principal photography starts soon so it can meet its release date this winter.
Marvel Phase 4 other projects
Marvel Phase 4: what other projects are in development?
None of these projects have release dates yet, but they're all confirmed to be in the works:
Ironheart
Its release date is yet to be announced, but an Ironheart Disney Plus series is on the way. The six-episode TV show will be written by Chinaka Hodge (Snowpiercer) and will star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, who will make her live-action debut in Black Panther 2. In The Heights' Anthony Ramos was recently cast to start alongside Thorne (per Deadline), and filming is rumored to begin in April 2022 (via The Cosmic Circus' Lizzie Hill).
No other concrete details are currently available about the show, although The Illuminerdi has claimed that The Hood will be the series' villain, and that the child of Obidiah Stane – Tony Stark's adversary in Iron Man 1 – will be part of the cast. File these under “unconfirmed” for now.
Armor Wars
Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes/War Machine will appear in his own Disney Plus show in the future, too.
Based on the comic series of the same name, filming is expected to begin in October 2022 (per The Cosmic Circus) under the working title Rigatoni. Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer is rumored to be returning (per Christopher Marc), while the show may explore the aftermath of Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame in some capacity. Girls screenwriter Yassir Lester is on board to pen the scripts.
Untitled Wakanda TV show
Announced in February 2021, a Wakanda spinoff show – developed by Black Panther writer-director Ryan Coogler – is also in the works. Danai Gurira has signed a deal to reprise her role as Okoye in the unnamed TV series, but it’s unclear if other Black Panther stars will feature, too.
What If…? season 2
What If…? season 2 is already being developed at Marvel Studios. According to head writer A.C. Bradley and director Bryan Andrew, one episode is ready to go (a Gamora-centric episode that didn’t make it into season 1), some are nearing completion and others require more work.
Regardless, don’t expect the next instalment in Marvel’s animated anthology series to arrive this year.
Loki season 2
The trickster god’s return was teased during the season 1 finale, but there’s no word on whether it’ll be filmed before other Disney Plus shows or not.
Tom Hiddleston is reprising his role as the god of mischief, while Owen Wilson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw have confirmed they'll be back, too. Wunmi Mosaku and Sophia Di Martino could also return, while season 1 head writer Michael Waldron has reportedly signed on to write season 2’s screenplays.
I Am Groot
Announced in December 2020, I Am Groot will follow the fan favorite Guardians of the Galaxy character as he grows from the sapling we saw in Guardians 2 into the teenage character we see in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
The show will consist of a series of shorts as he explores the galaxy alongside new and unusual characters. As you'd expect, Groot will get himself into some challenging situations, so we can expect a few laughs and thrills along the way. Per some concept art that has made its way online, too, Drax will feature in the series (thanks for the catch, Reddit!).
Featuring a photorealistic animation style, I Am Groot began production in August 2021. It's being directed by Kirsten Lepore, whose previous work includes Adventure Time and Summer Camp Island. The series will be part of Marvel's Phase 4 slate, but there's no launch date to speak of yet.
Marvel Phase 4: Disney Plus Day show announcements
As part of November 2021's Disney Plus Day celebrations, Marvel announced a spate of new shows that'll enter production in the future. There's no word on when they will do, though, so they may or may not be part of Marvel Phase 4.
Still, it's good (if a tad daunting) to see so many new Marvel shows on the way. You can see what else is coming up in the MCU below:
- Agatha: House of Harkness – a spin-off show centered around the fan favorite WandaVision character
- Echo – a spin-off show that focuses on the upcoming Hawkeye supporting character
- Marvel Zombies – a reimagining of the Marvel universe where a new generation of heroes battle against a spreading zombie threat
- Spider-Man: Freshman Year – an animated series that will follow Peter Parker during his college days, and celebrate his early comic book roots
- X-Men 97 – a revival of the classic 1990s X-Men animated series, which picks up events right after the show’s final episode