The Marvel Cinematic Universe may have taken an unexpected break in 2020, but it is coming back in full force in 2021. WandaVision, which kicks off Phase 4 of the MCU on Disney+ this Friday, will usher in the next wave of shows and movies centered on the beloved heroes and villains. As revealed by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, that is just the beginning, as plans extend for at least the next handful of years beyond what has already been announced.
Kevin Feige is currently making the rounds to promote the release of WandaVision, the first live-action MCU series produced for Disney+. Unlike previously live-action shows, it will connect very directly to the movies. When asked in a recent interview how far out plans for the MCU extend, Feige explained that they are looking at stories likely at least through 2026 behind the scenes. Here’s what he had to say about it.
“To varying degrees of specificity, it’s always about 5 to 6 years out versus what we’ve announced. So whatever that takes us to.”
Right now the MCU, at least what has been announced, will get us through the end of 2022. That means, based on what Kevin Feige is saying, the studio could be looking at stories that would get us through 2028. That may seem like an eye-melting amount of content but it makes a great deal of sense. All of the movies, and now shows, produced by Marvel Studios are part of a shared universe. That takes careful planning. Just look at what they managed to do with Avengers: Endgame. That doesn’t happen by accident. This is a well-oiled machine.
On the movie side, we know quite a bit about what is coming through Marvel Phase 4 and beyond. Black Widow, Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, Blade, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Spider-Man 3 and Fantastic Four are all on the way. We also know an X-Men reboot is in the cards, it’s just a matter of when. Though Feige did recently tease that we will see mutant seeds planted within Phase 4.
TV is where things will truly expand in the next couple of years. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion, Ironheart, Armor Wars and I Am Groot have all been announced. Not to mention the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special or the animated What If?. That’s just through 2022. With Disney+ and a new batch of heroes set to be introduced within these projects, the door is wide open for just about anything in Phase 5 and beyond. Assuming the MCU continues to generate money the way it has been over the last decade or so, Disney and Marvel Studios will need more than five more years of stories. But that’s a start. WandaVision arrives January 15. This news comes to us via Collider. The topper art was created by spidey0geek at Deviant Art.