In addition to announcing the full lineup for Marvel’s Phase 5 of their cinematic universe, the studio also announced a little bit of what’s going on beyond at San Diego Comic-Con. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige gave a preview of the MCU’s Phase 6 by announcing three titles that will appear in 2024 and 2025.
The details are sparse at this time but the very announcement of such titles is enough to get excited about. Let’s take a look at what the studio is preparing to release for the MCU’s Phase 6 and what we can expect of them.
Fantastic Four
The first title announced for the MCU’s Phase 6 is Fantastic Four, debuting on November 8, 2024. This will be the first Fantastic Four movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The ensemble heroes were previously seen in different iterations which included 2005’s Fantastic Four and the grittier reboot of 2015’s Fantastic Four, sometimes recognized as Fant4stic Four.
The Fantastic Four consists of four astronauts who acquire superpowers. Reed “Mr. Fantastic” Richards has the ability to stretch his limbs. Sue “Invisible Woman” Storm has the power to turn invisible. Johnny “The Human Torch” Storm, who was previously played by Captain America’s Chris Evans, can light his entire body on fire. Ben “The Thing” Grimm has a body entirely made of rock.
While this will mark the first Fantastic Four movie of the MCU, it’s not the first F4 appearance. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Reed Richards briefly appeared in an alternative universe as a part of the Illuminati. Played by John Krasinski, Richard’s role in the film was brief for…well, you’ve seen the movie.
Will Krasinski return to the role? We can’t see it this time but it may be possible. Given that the Illuminati were all played by familiar actors from other movies, it’s likely that he might make a return. That ultimately depends on the casting for the film which still hasn’t been decided at this moment.
There’s a lot of pressure on this film considering that Fantastic Four movies have not had the best track record. Roger Corman’s first attempt at a Fantastic Four movie was so cheap it was never officially released in the 1990s. Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four in 2015 was wrestled away from him in post-production when Fox became uneasy about the film he had made.
Could the MCU’s Fantastic Four break this curse? We’ll have to wait and see just who is helming this project.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten an Avengers movie, the last being 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. With no Avengers movies in Phase 4 or Phase 5, it was looking as though we wouldn’t be getting another big superhero crossover.
MCU Phase 6 will correct this with two Avengers movies debuting the same year. The first will be Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, arriving in theaters on May 2, 2025. The film takes its title from the 16-part comic book run written by Kurt Busiek. The film will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).
The central villain of the film seems to be Kang the Conqueror, a time-traveling entity that threatens all of existence. He would fight both the Avengers and Fantastic Four, which may explain why the Fantastic Four movie will come before this picture.
Kang appeared in the season finale of Loki and seemed to take on a higher plane of existence after he was killed, leading to a cliffhanger that may have changed the very fabric of time. He was played by Jonathan Majors and it’s likely that he’ll return to that role.
In terms of which Avengers will be involved in this story, it’s too early to tell. We may see some legacy characters return, as Doctor Strange seems like he’d play a major role given his experience with the multiverse. The progression of Phase 4 may give us a better idea as the film moves forward.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Following The Kang Dynasty will be Avengers: Secret Wars, debuting on November 7, 2025. The film will draw from the comic book of the same title by Jim Shooter, though it will likely be altered greatly based on previous Avengers movies.
The comic book run concerned the grand villain known as the Beyonder. This entity became fascinated by the heroes and villains, forcing them to fight each other on Battleworld. As an event comic, it involved all manner of ensembles, including the Avengers and X-Men.
While it’s likely the plot will be changed from the comic, the varied premise seems to promise a massive ensemble of characters. Depending on who we see debut in MCU Phase 6, this Avenger entry could have the largest cast since Avengers: Endgame.
What Else Can We Expect in the MCU’s Phase 6?
MCU’s Phase 6 will consist of more than just these three entries. More films and series will be announced in the future. After all, we don’t even have cast, writers, or directors announced for those three films with the exception of the director chosen for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
It’s likely we can expect that MCU Phase 6 will consist of some returning characters. We’ve learned from the post-credit confirmations of Phase Four movies that there will be returns of Doctor Strange, Thor, Shang-Chi, and The Eternals. There are also some more Spider-Man movies in the works over at Sony, as well as villain off-shoot movies if you want to technically count those as part of the MCU.
The MCU’s Phase 6 is in the very rough stages but there’s already much excitement for what we can expect in 2-3 years from now.
