Marvel Phase 3 ended with Avengers Endgame. The original six have now retired from their duties. Now, it is up to the new generation of superheroes to save the world from threats. Marvel Phase 4 will now start with the release of Black Widow and would end with Fantastic Four. The Phase 4 Lineup has been postponed many times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now it is starting with the Black Widow releasing on 9th July 2021 in theatres and Disney+ Hotstar. Here are all the Phase 4 Movies along with their release dates.
Black Widow – 9th July 2021
The superhero who was in dire need of its solo film was Black Widow. With her first appearance in Iron Man 2, she immediately grasped the attention of all MCU fans. Her past is very less followed in the MCU. Very little is known about her past life, the only thing we know is Hawkeye dealt with her and changed her for good. Now, with her death in Avengers Endgame, she has finally got herself her solo film, throwing some light on her past.
Natasha Romanoff is left alone to face a dangerous conspiracy against her with ties to her past. She must now face the force alone, which would stop at nothing to bring her down. He now has to deal with her history and broken relationships as a spy before she became an Avenger. The film is set between the events of Captain America Civil War and Avengers Infinity war. Hence, we will see the legendary fan-favorite actor Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – 3rd September 2021
Marvel has been working on its first Asian film since December 2018. That Asain film is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Filming commenced in February 2020 but was later halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Shang-chi will be available in the theatres on 3RD September 2021.
When Shang-Chi is drawn into the covert Ten Rings organization, he is forced to confront the past he thought he left behind. Simu Liu is set to play Shang-Chi, a skilled warrior who was trained at a young age to be an assassin. Awkwafina is Katy, Shang-Chi’s close friend who is unaware of his past. Tony Leung will play The Mandarin, Shang-Chi’s father and leader of the Ten Rings.
Eternals – 5th November 2021
Kevin Feige announced the Eternals movie in April 2018. Eternals are an immortal alien race that was created by Celestials and lived on Earth. Later, it was reported that Keanu Reeves, Salma Hayek, and Millie Bobby Brown have joined the cast. But, Brown refuted any news of joining the cast. The Eternals Movie would be coming out on 5th November 2021.
Eternals are an alien race created by the Celestials who have been living on Earth secretly for 7000 years. Due to an expected tragedy, they reunite to save Earth from their evil counterparts – The Deviants. Gemma Chan has been cast as Sersi, an empathic Eternal who can manipulate matter. Richard Madden plays Ikaris, the leader of the Eternals who can fly. The film is produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore.
Spider-Man: No Way Home – 17th December 2021
Spider-Man is probably the top fan-favorite superhero from the new generation. Spider-Man got introduced into the MCU in Captain America Civil War. Though his screen-time was less, this allowed his introduction into the MCU. this will be the third MCU Spider-Man film. The title was officially announced in February 2021 and the filming concluded in March. Spider-Man: No Way Home is set to release on 17th December 2021.
The film ties into Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness with Benedict Cumberbatch returning as Doctor Strange. Many previous characters will be making their return as well. There was a huge brouhaha regarding Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield making their reappearance in the movie. Although, later it was denied by Tom Holland. Jamie Foxx and Alfred Molina will be returning as Electro and Otto Octavius respectively.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – 25th March 2022
Doctor Strange would be getting his second film in 2022. This film would be focusing on the multiverse, and will also include Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch. The title was officially announced at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. Sam Raini, who directed the original Sony’s Spider-Man would be directing this one too.
Dr. Stephen Strange’s Time Stone research is hindered by a friend-turned-enemy. This resulted in Strange unleashing unspeakable evil. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set after the events of Avengers Endgame and directly set after the events of Disney+ Hotsar’s WandaVision. Elizabeth Olsen will be continuing her role as Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man: No Way Home will also have ties to it.
Thor: Love and Thunder – 6th May 2022
Chris Hemsworth expressed his interest in continuing the role of Thor after Avengers Endgame. By July 2019, Taika Waititi signed the contract for the fourth Thor film and the title was announced at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. Chris Hemsworth will be returning along with Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster.
Jane Foster would be returning and become the Mighty Thor after her absence from Ragnarok. It was addressed earlier in the film, that their relationship had ended. The Guardians of the Galaxy would be making their appearance in it too since Thor decided to go with them at the end of Endgame. Thor: Love and Thunder would be releasing in the theatres on 6th May 2022.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – 8th July 2022
Everyone was taken aback by the news of Chadwick Boseman’s death. The once smiling face is now gone. He was and will be the Black Panther. He starred in the Black Panther film which was released in 2018. Black Panther was appreciated greatly for having the Best Villain in the whole MCU. The sequel to Black Panther – Black Panther Wakanda Forever will be coming out on 8th July 2022.
Feige confirms the production of another Black Panther film by mid-2019. Later in 2020, the production halted due to Chadwick Boseman dying of colon cancer. It has been decided that his role will not be recast. Filming is expected to begin in July 2021 in Georgia and last for about six months. Just make sure to take tissues along to the theatres.
The Marvels – 11th November 2022
Captain Marvel is the First Avenger. When Captain Marvel released in 2019, we got to see what the first superhero could do. Kevin Feige announced a sequel to Captain Marvel in July 2019 at the San Diego Comic-Con. The film was announced with the title Captain Marvel 2 in December 2020.
The Marvels Movie will be set up by Ms. Marvel (2021) with Iman Vellani reprising her role as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan. Teyonah Parris would come back as an adult Monica Rambeau from WandaVision. The official title was relieved in May 2021. The Marvels is set to release on November 11, 2022.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania – 17th February 2023
Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantamania would be the sequel to the Ant-Man and the Wasp which released in 2018. It will be the third movie in the Ant-Man franchise. The movie would be having one of the most anticipated villains – Kang The Conqueror. Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantamania will be coming out on February 17, 2023.
Plans for a third Ant-Man were confirmed in November 2019, with Reed and Rudd returning as the lead actors. Loveness was hired in April 2020, and the development of the film started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Majors would be playing Kang The Conqueror. Reed said that the movie will be bigger, more sprawling than the first two. Cheers to that!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – 5th May 2023
Guardians of the Galaxy will have their hands full after Avengers Endgame. Since they have to find Gamora and the post-credit scene of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 showed us a glimpse of the possible villain of Vol. 3 – Adam. Also, Thor would be accompanied by the Guardians in this movie. Guardians of the Galaxy will be releasing on May 5, 2023.
There was a lot of controversy regarding James Gunn, the director of the previous Guardians of the Galaxy movies. He was fired by Marvel due to some old controversial tweets. But, he was later reestablished as the director. Guardians of the Galaxy would be set after the events of Thor: Love and Thunder and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
Fantastic Four – 2023
In 2017, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox along with its subsidiary 20th Century Fox. With this, Disney gained the rights to Fantastic Four and X-Men along with Deadpool. Now, all the Marvel superheroes are under head Disney, so we will see a lot of crossovers and references in the future. Very little has been revealed about Fantastic Four, hence the information right now is very little. The release date has not been given yet, but we know it would be coming in 2023.
We know that John Krasinki is down to play Mr. Fantastic with his real-life wife Emily Blunt as her wife Sue Storm. Jon Watts would be the director of the film. While the other cast has not been revealed yet, I am most excited for Johnny Storm, which was earlier played by Steve Rogers – The Retired Captain America. I hope there would be some references to this in the near future. Fantastic four would probably be the last movie of Phase 4, maybe setting up the introduction of X-Men into the MCU.
Phase 4 is packed with a lot of action-packed films and since Kevin Feige is the producer of all, we probably should not worry about the quality of all the films. Phase 4 will begin with Black Widow on 9th July 2021 and will end with Fantastic Four in 2023. The year 2022 will be packed with a lot of electrifying Marvel Movies. I just hope that the pandemic gets over, so I can enjoy them at the theatres.
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