10 Questions Marvel Still Needs To Answer About The MCU’s Phase 5 & 6 Movie Slate

Summary

• Blade’s 2025 release date remains uncertain as Marvel Studios stays silent on its progress, lacking a director attachment.
• Disney’s updated film calendar for 2026 and 2027 includes untitled Marvel projects, leading to speculation on what’s to come.
• The future of the MCU is full of mysteries as classic Avengers might make a return, while untitled films hint at Phase 6 and potentially Phase 7.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has recently made plenty of exciting announcements regarding its plans for upcoming films, but plenty of questions regarding their future movie slate still remain. WIth back-to-back MCU announcements from San Diego Comic-Con and D23 being made in 2024, Marvel Studios have finally begun showing off what audiences can expect going into the latter half of Phase 5, Phase 6, and even beyond. However, it’s clear that the franchise still has plans even further in the future that haven’t yet been made totally clear.

Some of these unanswered queries are the result of Disney’s mysterious shifting around of untitled Marvel Cinematic Universe projects on their film release calendar. Others refer to promised upcoming Marvel movies even further on the horizon of Marvel Studios that haven’t yet been properly addressed. The more the Marvel Cinematic Universe answers questions regarding their upcoming releases, they create yet more mysteries in the films and projects they decide to omit from major announcements.

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10 Will Blade Keep Its 2025 Release Date?

The silence on Marvel’s vampire hunter is alarming

If there’s one film in the MCU’s slate of upcoming movies that’s managed to gain an infamous legacy before a single second of footage for it has even come out, it’s the 2025 Blade reboot. It’s no secret that Blade has seen turmoil in its production and pre-production, exchanging directors and writers multiple times and allegedly undergoing full re-writes more than once. The film, which was originally announced in 2019, has already had its release date bumped further down the road multiple times.

Shockingly, neither San Diego Comic-Con nor D23 offered any updates on Blade‘s current production status. For now, Blade maintains a release date for November 7th, 2025, despite the fact that it was Marvel’s only 2025 release that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige didn’t directly mention at San Diego Comic-Con. Blade currently doens’t even have a director attached, which casts doubt on Marvel’s ability to hold on to the promise of a late 2025 release.

9 What Is Releasing On February 13th, 2026?

The first of many untitled Marvel projects

As of the time of writing, the only announced Marvel Cinematic Universe film planned for 2026 is Avengers: Doomsday. Previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the film will see Robert Downey Jr. return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not as Iron Man, but as fan-favorite comic villain Doctor Doom. Beyond this, the MCU’s 2026 offerings remain a mystery, though Disney has posted some dates for upcoming untitled Marvel movies supposedly releasing the same year.

In an eyebrow-raising update to their film calendar for the next two years, Disney seems to have confirmed release dates for unknown Marvel projects. The first of these will be an as-of-yet untitled film releasing on February 13th, notably three months before Avengers: Doomsday. How this untitled film could help set up the next major crossover event in the MCU or who it will star remains a total mystery.

8 What Is Releasing On November 6th, 2026?

The second blank spot for 2026

The February release won’t be the only unidentified Marvel film Disney has promised to release in upcoming years. Also in 2026, Disney has reserved a spot for yet another untitled Marvel Cinematic Universe project on November 6th. At a far remove from the other confirmed projects for the year, the late release will seem to give Marvel Studios something of a breathing space between introducing the world-defining threat of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom and their next release.

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Curiously, this film is slated for release before the 2027 drop of Avengers: Secret Wars. This follows the precedent set by the last major Avengers mini-duology, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, which Marvel Studios spaced out with the quiet releases of Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel. Both of these films wound up being prequels to Avengers: Infinity War, meaning that the untitled November film in 2026 could also be a prequel to help give context to Avengers: Secret Wars.

7 What Is Releasing On July 23rd, 2027?

The first unknown film of 2027

2026 isn’t the only year Disney’s updated film calendar has affected as far as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movies go. The update has also revealed two placeholder spots for 2027 as well, promising even more MCU releases beyond the highly-anticipated Avengers: Secret Wars. Adapting the comic run of the same name, details about Avengers: Secret Wars‘ plot are scarce, with only the return of Doctor Doom and The Fantastic Four being confirmed by Kevin Feige.

Following Avengers: Secret Wars’ release early in 2027 on May 5th, another unnamed film is scheduled for release according to Disney’s official guide to upcoming releases. Being the next film up after such an important crossover film is no easy task. It’s likely that the untitled film will be a solo film with smaller or more personal stakes, similar to how Avengers: Endgame was followed up by Spider-Man: No Way Home.

6 What Is Releasing On November 5th, 2027?

Marvel Studios’ final unknown release

Finally, Disney’s release slate has identified one more Marvel Cinematic Universe project that has yet to be given a name, supposedly releasing in 2027. Later in the year, a final Marvel film will close out 2027 with a Fall release on November 5th. Speculation so far ahead into the future is a tricky thing, so it’s hard to say what this unidentified release date could bring two movies on from the last Marvel Cinematic Universe film to be given a title.

It’s very possible that this November release could be the start of a Phase 7. Marvel’s Phases seem to be getting smaller and smaller, owing to Disney’s new release strategy for the franchise focusing on quality over quantity. Avengers: Secret Wars and the film immediately following it could be a great place to end the 6th Phase of the MCU, meaning this film in particular could be the start of an astounding 7th chapter in the long-running history of the famed movie franchise.

5 Will Marvel’s 2027 Releases Be Included In Phase 6?

The division of the MCU’s Phases remains tricky

Speaking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phases, where exactly the upcoming releases will be divided among them remains something of a glaring question mark. As of the time of writing, Marvel’s Phase 6 has only four confirmed films, being The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Blade, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars. But with several films with unannounced titles seemingly interspersed within these films, Phase 6 may be much more expansive than originally thought.

If Phase 6 lasts at least as long as the end of Avengers: Secret Wars, this would mean that at least three of the four untitled films revealed by Disney’s upcoming release calendar are likely to be included. This would put Phase 6 at seven films if everything goes according to plan, a far more average number of projects compared to Phases 4 and 5. Where Phase 7 will begin, or even if the MCU will even reach such a late stage of continuity, remains to be seen.

4 What Happened To The Untitled Film Releasing On July 24th, 2026?

Disney didn’t only add to its upcoming release calendar

Custom Image by Kai Young

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It isn’t just that Disney added several untitled Marvel Cinematic Universe films to their upcoming release calendar. With the update provided, one project was actually removed from the original lineup entirely. Originally, the Disney itinerary claimed that a new Marvel Studios movie was set to be released on July 24th, 2026. As of the time of writing, this particular release slot is empty, the film seemingly vanished into thin air.

It could be that this placeholder date referred to a film that was pushed back to one of the later unidentified releases, or perhaps even moved to the earlier February release date. However, it’s just as likely that whatever film was planned for July 24th, 2026 experienced pre-production woes on the level of Blade, and was simply quietly canceled. It’s impossible to say if audiences will ever get an answer as to why this particular date fell out of favor in Disney’s release schedule.

3 When Will Shang-Chi 2 Come Out?

Simu Liu doesn’t seem worried for his next star vehicle

If there’s one other prominent release that was utterly absent at both San Diego Comic-Con 2024 and D23, it was the sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. While Shang-Chi 2 has confirmed to be in development, precious few details regarding the film have been made clear to prospective audiences. While star Simu Liu provided a hopeful update for Shang-Chi 2, a hard-confirmed release date continues to elude MCU fans.

It’s unclear as to why the sequel to such a highly-anticipated film has been given so few updates amid Marvel Studios’ upcoming releases. It’s now been three years since Marvel introduced Shang-Chi to audiences, and the character has yet to re-appear in any capacity in the MCU since. It’s not unheard of these days for the MCU to quietly allow some of their characters to fall into obscurity without ever making a second debut.

2 Where Are The X-Men In The MCU’s Future?

The era of mutants isn’t anywhere to be seen

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Deadpool & Wolverine has been a wildly successful bridging of the gap between the Fox movie universe and the MCU when it comes to Marvel’s mutants. Previously, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige claimed that the film would usher in the “mutant era” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, implying that the X-Men and other mutant characters would be showing up in many more future projects. But despite this promise, both San Diego Comic-Con and D23 were utterly devoid of any mutant news.

Granted, an as-of-yet untitled X-Men film has been confirmed to be in development at Marvel Studios. However, like with Shang-Chi 2, it’s hard not to feel apprehensive with no clear release date or other details in sight, even so close to the end of Phase 5. It seems unlikely that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would forget to use the valuable new IP they gained from Fox, but fans are still starved for more official promises.

1 When Are The “Familiar Franchises” Going To Return?

The MCU’s oldest flagship characters might be falling by the wayside

With the deaths and retirements of so many classic MCU characters by the end of Avengers: Endgame, the franchise’s roster of active Avengers seems quite limited, especially in regard to legacy characters. In recent years, the MCU has been pushing many new characters, from streaming exclusives like She-Hulk and Moon Knight to wildcards like Deadpool and Ms. Marvel. It’s hard not to feel as if many older Avengers have been left to fall by the wayside.

Back in February, Disney CEO Bog Iger alluded that the MCU will be returning to a focus on “stronger” franchises, implying that more classic Avengers would be once again getting the spotlight (via Twitter). But in the wake of the recent slew of announcements at San Diego Comic-Con and D23, no mention of a Thor 5, Doctor Strange 3, or Black Panther 3 was made. Hopefully, the MCU won’t forget about their less recently headliners in the wake of so many new introductions.

Upcoming MCU Movies

• Captain America: Brave New World

  Release Date February 14, 2025

• Thunderbolts*

  Release Date May 2, 2025

• The Fantastic Four (2025)

  Release Date July 25, 2025

• Blade (2025)

  Release Date November 7, 2025

• Avengers: Doomsday

  Release Date May 1, 2026

• Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date May 7, 2027

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Category: Entertainment