Marvel Phase 5 is now properly underway with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 both officially out in cinemas. However, with a lot more planned in this next phase of Marvel storytelling, we're by no means sure of what direction we're heading in next... That's especially the case given we're in the Multiverse Saga, which means, well, that we've got a multiverse of possibilities on the way.
Next up on the MCU planner is Secret Invasion in June, which seems to be the gritty spy thriller we've been crying out for since The Winter Soldier. Beyond that, Ms. Marvel makes the step up to the big screen in Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels, WandaVision's Agatha is back in Coven of Chaos, Charlie Cox's Daredevil is Born Again on Disney Plus, and the next Captain America movie is looking more and more like a Hulk crossover by the day...
It's also worth noting that Echo, Loki season 2, Coven of Chaos, and Ironheart have recently had their releases changed to the more ominous 'coming soon' having previously been given 2023 windows.
So, join us as we journey through the weird and wonderful line-up of Marvel Phase 5, from release dates, to casting news, trailers, and much more.
Marvel Phase 5 release dates: everything to come
Marvel Phase 5 is packed with movies and shows – and takes us all the way up to the summer of 2024. Here's everything that's coming in this stage of the MCU:
- Secret Invasion (June 21, 2023, Disney Plus)
- The Marvels (November 10, 2023, movie)
- Echo (TBA, Disney Plus)
- Loki season 2 (TBA, Disney Plus)
- Ironheart (TBA, Disney Plus)
- Agatha: Coven of Chaos (TBA, Disney Plus)
- Daredevil: Born Again (Spring 2024, Disney Plus)
- Captain America: New World Order (May 3, 2024, movie)
- Thunderbolts (July 26, 2024, movie)
- Blade (September 6, 2024, movie)
Marvel Phase 5 movies and TV shows
Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion release date: June 21, 2023
Secret Invasion is set to be a paranoid thriller, with shapeshifting aliens the Skrulls having infiltrated Earth. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury with Ben Mendelsohn as Talos and Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill in leading roles. Martin Freeman's Everett Ross and Don Cheadle's Rhodey are also back.
Newcomers to the cast include Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, and Kingsley Ben-Adir. A trailer for Secret Invasion was revealed behind closed doors at Comic-Con and saw Fury coming down from space to help fight the invading Skrulls. Ben-Adir's character looks to be a villainous alien, though we suspect you can't trust anyone in this series. Marvel boss Kevin Feige has teased that it will be a "dark" and "gritty" show, while the official Disney Plus description teases a crossover event.
There's also Armor Wars on the way, which will star Don Cheadle's Rhodey and follow on from the events of Secret Invasion. Its release date is still TBC, though.
The Marvels
The Marvels release date: November 10, 2023
A sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel, The Marvels sees Brie Larson return as Captain Marvel. However, as the title implies, she's not alone. After debuting in WandaVision, Teyonah Parris will reprise her role as Monica Rambeau, while Ms. Marvel will also make an appearance (as confirmed by the Ms. Marvel post-credits scene that saw Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan and Captain Marvel switch places). Samuel L. Jackson's back as Nick Fury, too, so potentially the Skrulls from Secret Invasion could play a role. Velvet Buzzsaw's Zawe Ashton will play the movie's villain.
Echo
Echo release date: TBA (previously Summer 2023)
Having debuted in Hawkeye, Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez has her own Disney Plus show incoming. Echo is the adopted niece of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, who was last seen being shot in the face by Echo – though we know he survives, as D'Onofrio is back. Better yet, Charlie Cox will be appearing as Daredevil, having reprised the character in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk already. Plot details regarding Echo are scarce, though we expect the series to pick up where Hawkeye left off. It's set to focus on her origin story as her time in New York City catches up with her when she returns to her hometown.
Loki season 2
Loki season 2 release date: TBA (Previously Summer 2023)
Loki's set to become the very first live-action Marvel series on Disney Plus to get a second season. The first ended with a Loki variant named Sylvie killing He Who Remains, the keeper of the Sacred Timeline, and essentially breaking the multiverse. The sequel will no doubt pick up where that series ended, with Loki and Sylvie trying to navigate this new, Kang-dominated era of time. Set photos have confirmed that Sylvie is back, with Sophia Di Martino returning to the role. Other actors coming back include Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Jonathan Majors will presumably return as Kang, though that's unconfirmed at this stage. Everything Everywhere All at Once star Ke Huy Quan has also joined the cast.
Ironheart
Ironheart release date: TBA (Previously Fall 2023)
Dominique Thorne stars as Riri Williams, AKA Ironheart, a young genius who in the comics made her own version of the Iron Man suit. The hero was first introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but she's returning for her own Disney Plus series. She'll be joined by Anthony Ramos as new villain the Hood. Not a whole lot is known about the show at this early stage, but we can expect the series to tackle the legacy of Iron Man. For more from Thorne, be sure to check out her excellent performances in If Beale Street Could Talk and Judas and the Black Messiah.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos
Agatha: Coven of Chaos release date: TBA (Previously Winter 2023)
Agatha: Coven of Chaos sees Kathryn Hahn reprise her witchy role from WandaVision, but this time she's the central star. Hahn previously teased that the project is "exactly what I would have hoped and dreamt," while Scarlett Witcher actor Elizabeth Olsen has said she would "love" to be part of the show. There's nothing really substantial available on the plot, though it should tie up some loose ends from WandaVision and potentially reveal how Wanda survived the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Heartstopper's Joe Locke has joined the cast, along with Aubrey Plaza, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Patti LuPone, and Debra Jo Rupp.
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again release date: Spring 2024
The Coxaissance is upon us. After appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk, and Echo, Charlie Cox will finally appear in a solo project as Daredevil. Born Again will consist of a whopping 18 episodes, though don't expect it to follow the similarly titled comic-book storyline – that's already been adapted into live-action in The Defenders Saga. Instead, it makes for a fitting title seeing as Daredevil's been rescued from the pits of Netflix's cancelation and brought fully into the MCU.
Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin is also back, having first appeared in Hawkeye and Echo, and we can probably expect Echo to return, too, though that's unconfirmed. The Many Saints of Newark star Michael Gandolfini has also joined the cast, along with Margarita Levieva and Sandrine Holt, with the latter playing a recast Vanessa Fisk.
Captain America: New World Order
Captain America: New World Order release date: May 3, 2024
Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson finally has his own solo movie, having taken over the Captain America mantle in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The Cloverfield Paradox director Julius Onah will helm the new Cap movie, while Falcon head writer Malcolm Spellman and staff writer Dalan Musson are penning the script. Tim Blake Nelson, who played the Leader in The Incredible Hulk, is returning to the MCU, while Danny Ramirez is also reprising his role from Falcon. Plus, Harrison Ford is set to replace the late William Hurt as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. Plot details are tightly under wraps – but the title suggests Red Skull might be returning to the MCU. Liv Tyler has also joined the film, reprising her role as Betty Ross in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. Could a certain Bruce Banner also have a presence in the film? We could find out very soon – New World Order is currently filming.
Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts release date: July 26, 2024
Breadcrumbs teasing this shadowy group were first dropped in 2021 when The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the Contessa – but at San Diego Comic-Con, it was finally confirmed that the villainous team will debut during Marvel Phase 5. Then, at D23, the full cast was revealed: joining Louis-Dreyfus' Contessa will be Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster, and Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost from Ant-Man and the Wasp. Paper Towns helmer Jake Schreier is in the director's chair.
Blade
Blade release date: September 6, 2024
Mahershala Ali may have played Cotton Mouth in Luke Cage, but the actor now has dual roles in the MCU, with the Oscar-winner portraying Blade in the upcoming movie. In fact, Ali has already played Blade in the Eternals post-credits sting, though that was a voice cameo – the movie will likely feature the Ebony Blade, as seen in that movie, too. Delroy Lindo and The Underground Railroad's Aaron Pierre are both in the Blade cast, with a script from Stacy Osei-Kuffour.
But, director Bassim Tariq stepped down from helming the movie shortly before filming was set to kick off. Production has been paused and the movie has been delayed from its original November 3, 2023 release date. Tariq hasn't left entirely, however, as he's still onboard as an executive producer.
An insider has also claimed Ali is unhappy with pre-production. "I'm told that the current Blade script is roughly 90 pages and features exactly TWO (lackluster) action sequences. Mahershala said to be very frustrated with the process. Feige said to be spread too thin," reported (opens in new tab) Jeff Sneider.
Yann Demange has now stepped up to replace Tariq in the director's chair – he's previously helmed episodes of Lovecraft Country and Top Boy. Production is set to re-start in early 2023.
Marvel Phase 5 recap: the story so far *spoilers*
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania kicked off Marvel Phase 5 with a multiversal bang. The film saw the ant-family pulled into the Quantum Realm after Cassie Lang created a device that could send a signal the tiny universe. There, they came up against the terrifying Kang the Conqueror, who planned to traverse the multiverse, erasing entire timelines in his quest to stop the many, many Kang Variants from wrecking things any further.
Luckily, Scott Lang and Janet van Dyne were able to put a stop to his plans, though only just. Everyone made it back from the Quantum Realm in one piece, but Scott couldn't quite shake the feeling that the threat posed by Kang wasn't resolved after all...
Then, in the post-credits scenes, all of Kang's Variants gathered in one place, with the leaders intending on stopping Marvel's heroes from getting any closer to the multiverse. Loki and Mobius, meanwhile, were seen tracking one Kang Variant in particular, Victor Timely.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 marks the last chapter in the Guardians of the Galaxy story. And it's certainly an emotional send-off to everyone's favorite A-holes. The movie sees the team all back together again to try and save Rocket after he's mortally injured by Adam Warlock.
The team head across the galaxy and team up with Gamora and the Ravagers to try and find the code that will save Rocket. When he was created by the High Evolutionary, he was given a kill switch that stops anyone from being able to operate on him. Not only are they in a race against time to find this, but Chukwudi Iwuji's villain is also on their toes to try and take Rocket for himself.
We find out about his dodgy motives to create a perfect society and see them in action on Counter-Earth, as well as taking a heartbreaking trip through memory lane to find out how exactly Rocket was made. Thankfully, our beloved Guardians get the upper hand, taking down the High Evolutionary, saving Rocket, and also saving all the beings the big bad was experimenting on.
It was touch and go for a bit there with some of the characters, but almost everyone makes it out unscathed (here's what you need to know about who actually dies in Guardians 3). At the end of the movie, everyone heads off on their own paths: Peter Quill heads to Earth to find his grandfather; Mantis sets out to find herself; Drax and Nebula become parents to the rescued children; Gamora returns to the Ravagers, and Rocket, Groot, Cosmo the Spacedog, and Kraglin form the new Guardians of the Galaxy.
We get to see the Guardians hard at work in the mid-credits scene where they're joined by Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vel, and Blurp. The final Guardians of the Galaxy post-credits scene sees Quill eating cereal with Granddad Jason before we learn that "Star-Lord will return".
For more on the movie, check out the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 ending explained, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Easter eggs, and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 cameos.
That's a wrap on Marvel Phase 5. While you wait for the next MCU project, check out our guide to the new superhero movies heading your way over the next few years.
