Marvel's upcoming movies and TV shows: Everything we know (and what we don't know yet)
Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe first flew onto the big screen with "Iron Man" in 2008, fan anticipation for these films has only grown.
And after more than a decade of dominating the box office, seemingly the only thing that could Thanos-snap the MCU into (temporary) silence: COVID-19.
Marvel's Phase 4 was slated to begin in 2020, but with filming suspended and theatrical releases postponed, the last Marvel film to hit theaters was "Spider Man: Far from Home" in summer 2019.
The optimistic takeaway from all this suspended animation is that, eventually, the metaphorical Infinity Stones will be assembled, the pandemic will end, and we'll have a wealth of Marvel content to feast our eyes upon.
Get your popcorn ready. Here's everything we know — and some of what we don't know — about all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows yet to be released.
Who's in, who's out?
It's been a little while since our last jaunt in the MCU, so here's a little recap:
While some characters are being thrust into their own spin-offs, others have taken their final bow. Tony Stark is permanently dead at the end of "Endgame," while Steve Rogers is in a time-travel-enabled retirement. It is unlikely that Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans will return to the MCU.
A vision of the past
Despite the pandemic-induced movie drought, 2020 won't be a total bust for Marvel fans. The six-episode Disney+ series "WandaVision" premieres in December.
Time travel
The series takes place — at least partly — in the 1950s but also after the events of "Avengers: Endgame." That chronology raises some interesting questions about how Paul Bettany's Vision is among the living.
Marvel and mental health
"WandaVision" star Elizabeth Olsen teased that the series takes on complex topics such as mental health — a theme that is a significant part of Scarlet Witch's arc in the Marvel comics.
But Vision is dead
What we still don't know is how Vision is alive and well. As far as we know, the android dies twice in "Avengers: Infinity War."
"Black Widow"
The first feature-length movie out of the upcoming batch of Marvel flicks is "Black Widow."
In 2019, Disney postponed production on the Avengers spin-off to help keep the events of "Avengers: Endgame" a secret. Then, just weeks before its anticipated release, the pandemic shut down theaters, forcing Disney to push the film's release back a year.
Natasha Romanoff will finally swing into theaters on May 7, 2021.
Back in the USSR
The movie takes place after the events of "Captain America: Civil War" and follows Natasha on a journey that will require the ex-KGB assassin and super spy to confront her past.
An all-star cast
Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha. Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Rachel Weisz all co-star in this long-awaited release.
The death of a king
"Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman died on August 28, 2020, leaving fans and co-stars mourning the loss of Marvel's iconic Black superhero.
An uncertain future
Director Ryan Coogler wrote a tribute to Boseman, saying, "I haven't grieved a loss this acute before. I spent the last year preparing, imagining and writing words for him to say, that we weren't destined to see."
It is unclear when or if a second "Black Panther" film will be made.
Shuri: Black Panther?
Some fans, however, have pointed out that T'Challa's little sister, Shuri, becomes the Black Panther in the comics. So, Letitia Wright could possibly step into the titular role for a potential sequel.
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"
Destin Daniel Cretton is set to direct Marvel's much-anticipated kung fu flick, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." We don't know much about the plot just yet, but Marvel has announced some cast members.
Meet the hero
Canadian-Chinese actor and stunt man Simu Liu will star in the titular role. Shang-Chi is a skilled martial artist and will be Marvel's first big-screen superhero film with an Asian lead.
Co-stars once more
"Crazy Rich Asians" stars Ronny Chieng and Awkwafina will also appear in the film, though their roles are still unknown. This movie is slated to hit theaters July 9, 2021.
"Eternals"
Marvel Studios co-president Kevin Feige first mentioned the development of an Eternals movie back in 2018. The Eternals are an obscure-but-powerful group from the Marvel comics. You might recognize one of their names: Thanos, the purple people duster himself, is an Eternal.
The Eternals are a group of aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following the events of "Avengers: Endgame," the alien crew is drawn out of hiding to fight an even-more-obscure enemy: the Deviants.
A Stark reunion
It's not every day we see a reunion of "Game of Thrones" stars on the big screen, but these two Westerosi cousins will meet again in the MCU.
Richard Madden plays an all-powerful Eternal named Ikaris. Kit Harrington will play a character not entirely dissimilar from Jon Snow — a human warrior who wields a mystical sword called the Ebony Blade.
Eternal flex
Comedic actor and "Silicon Valley" star Kumail Nanjiani showed off his Marvel-ready physique in this gym photo he posted on Instagram. Nanjiani will play an Eternal named Kingo who becomes a Bollywood star to fit in on Earth.
The extraterrestrial ensemble
Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek will also appear in this flick. Here, cast and crew of "Eternals" gathered for a panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019.
"Eternals" will hit theaters on November 5, 2021.
MCU's Spider-Man 3
Fans speculate that the upcoming Spider-flick could feature three Peter Parkers. Yes, you read that right. Rumors are swirling that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield could reprise their roles in the red suit alongside Tom Holland. Sony has yet to confirm or deny the many-Parkers theory.
Wondering where this speculation came from? Well...
Electro returns
Those multiverse rumors began when Marvel announced that Jamie Foxx will return as Electro, the villain from Sony's Andrew Garfield-era installment "The Amazing Spider-Man 2."
This curious bit of casting news has opened the door for other characters or actors who could return from Spider-verses (or other Marvel franchises) past.
Mysterio-us
Yet another mystery is whether Jake Gyllenhaal will return as Mysterio. Did the supervillain perish in "Spider-Man: Far from Home," or was that just another one of his illusions?
We'll have to wait a bit longer to find out. The third MCU Spider-Man film is slated for release in December of 2021.
Strange magic
Here's something we know for sure: Benedict Cumberbatch will make an appearance in the upcoming Spider-Man film as Doctor Strange.
There's more Spider-verse on the way
After the success of the first Spider-verse film, Sony announced that a sequel and several spin-offs were in the works. We can expect to see a continuation of Miles Morales' story as well as a lot more Spider-Gwen.
The still-untitled second installment is slated for theatrical release in October 2022.
"Thor: Love and Thunder"
After a brief COVID-induced delay, production for the fourth Hemsworth-fronted Thor movie is set to begin in January 2021.
Valkyrie returns
Tessa Thompson will reprise her role as the jaded, self-possessed warrior goddess Valkyrie.
Taika Waititi back at the helm
If you liked the distinct comedic flair in "Thor: Ragnarok," we've got good news for you: Oscar winner Taika Waititi is back in the director's chair.
Passing the hammer
Natalie Portman will reprise her role as Jane Foster. But this time, she'll have a more super-sized part, as Foster becomes the female Thor.
A long wait
Thor fans will have a while to wait for the next installment, however. "Love and Thunder" won't hit theaters until February 2022.
"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier"
In "Endgame," we see Captain America return to the past to live out his days with Peggy Carter.
Also, Steve Rogers gives the Captain America shield to Sam. In this six-episode Disney Plus series, the new Captain teams up with Bucky Barnes for a world tour that will put both soldiers to the test.
Coming 2021
We don't know exactly when "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" will premiere, but we do know we can expect the episodes to air sometime in 2021.
"Loki"
Tom Hiddleston will once again step into the shoes of the "God of Mischief" in a Loki-centric series on Disney Plus. The series will premiere on Disney's streaming platform sometime in 2021.
"What If...?"
The only animated Marvel series on the Disney Plus horizon is "What If... ?", an anthology series based on comics of the same name.
Each episode explores a different hypothetical, alternate-universe scenario involving fan-favorite MCU characters. Think, "What if Peggy became Captain America?"
The first 10 episodes will premiere mid-2021.
"Hawkeye"
With Hawkeye in retirement at the conclusion of "Endgame," Marvel has set the stage for a spin-off series featuring Clint Barton and a protégé, Marvel Comics character Kate Bishop.
Jeremy Renner is confirmed to appear in the series. Not much else is known about the series at this early stage — just that will premiere in late 2021.
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"
Production for the second Doctor Strange film was expected to begin in late 2020, now with a new director. After Scott Derrickson, director of the first Doctor Strange movie, left the project in January 2020, Marvel tapped Sam Raimi to helm.
Superhero fans will recognize Raimi's work. He directed the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy.
A witch called Wanda
Though the details are a closely guarded secret, the Doctor Strange sequel is confirmed to directly tie into the "WandaVision" series on Disney Plus.
"WandaVision" star Elizabeth Olsen will also appear in the upcoming Doctor Strange movie.
Keeping the Doctor away
Originally slated for release in May 2021, this Strange movie won't hit theaters until March 2022.
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"
The events of "Endgame" set up the much-anticipated third installment of the Guardians saga.
Toward the end of the film, Thor joins the Guardians on their ship and kickstarts a comic rivalry with Chris Pratt's Peter Quill. We don't know yet if Chris Hemsworth will be a major part of the third Guardians film, but "Endgame" certainly hinted at the possibility.
Look into the future
Don't expect to buy tickets to this movie anytime soon. Though Kevin Feige confirmed the sequel was in the development stage in 2019, production hasn't started yet.
It's unlikely that the movie will hit theaters before late 2022 or 2023.
More Deadpool?
In an investors meeting in February 2019, Disney's then-CEO Bob Iger said future adaptations of the Deadpool series would have the potential to remain R-rated, despite Disney's family-friendly image.
Marvel didn't include Deadpool in its Phase 4 lineup, but that doesn't mean we won't see more of the foul-mouthed antihero in the future.
Watch "New Mutants" at home
We wouldn't blame you if you were surprised to learn that "New Mutants" hit theaters on August 28, 2020.
Movie theaters in many U.S. cities remained shuttered for months after the film's release, due to COVID-19. The Maisie Williams-fronted X-Men movie was expected to be available digitally, to rent or buy on-demand, on November 17, 2020.
The film will stream on HBO Max in 2021 and eventually migrate to Disney+.
New mutants, new genre
The film is a horror-genre movie about five young mutants trapped in a secret facility.
"M.O.D.O.K."
Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt co-created an adult-aimed stop-motion series based on the "M.O.D.O.K." comics. Oswalt also provide the voice acting for the titular supervillain.
The series is slated for release on Hulu in early 2021.
"Hit-Monkey"
"Hit-Monkey," also on Hulu, will be written and produced by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, the duo who directed the 2007 comedy "Blades of Glory."