When people think of Marvel Movies, they usually think about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (unsurprising as it has now become the largest movie franchise ever and regularly dominates the international box office); however, the MCU does not account for all of the many Marvel movies that will release in the next few years. Some of the rights to Marvel movies still lie with Sony Pictures Entertainment, and while they have an ongoing relationship with Marvel and Disney at this point, it is unclear exactly how their movies will tie into the MCU. New Marvel updates on movies from both studios are revealed almost weekly though. Below is all the confirmed news on big-screen Marvel release dates.
Critics have been voicing concerns about the MCU’s long-term future plans. From the very first Iron Man, they questioned the longevity of franchises based on comic books, suggesting that superhero movies might simply be a passing fad. However, releases based on Marvel’s comics show no signs of slowing down. While the pandemic caused several delays for Marvel and the MCU throughout 2020 and early 2021, they are now back at full force with 2022 being a heavy year for Marvel movies. Beyond the scheduled releases, there are further spin-offs, reboots, and many more sequels planned for the not-too-distant future. The San Diego Comic-Con International 2022 was a platform for a host of new info from Marvel and Disney, including clarity on release dates for movies like the MCU Blade reboot and Captain America: New World Order. They also revealed that after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the MCU Phase 5 officially begins. Kevin Feige has confirmed that the MCU is currently in The Multiverse Saga, with Kang the Conqueror as Phase 5’s main antagonist.
The Infinity Saga was such a massive success that it irreversibly raised the bar for big-budget Hollywood blockbusters. The concept of a superhero movie was no longer seen as an inherent risk. Marvel/Disney proved it pays to lean into adapting obscurer comic properties, and audiences were ready to embrace heroes that aren’t household names. Crucially, the near-certainty of healthy revenue made Disney more willing to feature characters who aren’t portrayed by cisgender straight men. This enabled more diverse movies like Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings and The Eternals, the latter of which finally challenged Disney’s longstanding LGBTQ+ problem. Both Marvel Studios and Sony are also now working with directors that bring distinctive tones and styles but allow them more creative control. This has led to a wider range of atmospheres in recent projects, and upcoming Marvel releases look set to replicate it. The cinematic superhero genre is proving itself to be constantly evolving, and Marvel movies are leading the charge. Here are all the details and Marvel release dates for MCU movies and Sony films coming out in 2022 and 2023.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – November 11, 2022
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres on 22nd November 2022. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther quickly became one of the highest-rated Marvel movies by fans. While its international gross wasn’t on the same level as Avengers: Infinity War, there’s no denying that it was an astounding critical and commercial success for Marvel Studios. It’s no wonder that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been part of Marvel’s MCU Phase 4 plans since as early as 2018, with Coogler being back in the director’s chair. After Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing, there are no plans to recast T’Challa, and from the footage in trailers, it’s clear that the character has likewise passed on in the MCU. The sequel is set to focus on other aspects of Wakandan culture. Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, will play a central role, but while there will be a new Black Panther, their identity is still a secret. However, what has been confirmed is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduces Namor and an underwater kingdom strongly suspected to be Atlantis to the MCU. Namor is a character Marvel comics fans have wanted to see on the big screen for years, and the conflict between Atlantis and Wakanda already looks to be a historic moment in the MCU. As Marvel updates the canon of their cinematic universe at the close of Phase 4, it’s almost guaranteed that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be game-changing for the MCU.
Kraven The Hunter – January 13, 2023
The next of the non-MCU upcoming Marvel release dates is the Kraven the Hunter movie. Following in the footsteps of Venom and Morbius, the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters will continue with another movie focusing on a Spider-Man villain. It’s not been confirmed if Kraven will be part of Sony’s anticipated Sinister Six movie. However, Kraven was an integral member of the villain team, so it looks likely. The idea for the solo movie was first broached in 2018. By 2020, it had a script written by Richard Wenk and then re-written by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. Soon after, J.C. Chandor entered talks to direct the film. Little was heard about potential developments in the months that followed. Production then took a huge leap forward in May 2021, however, when Aaron Taylor-Johnson landed Kraven’s titular role. Since then, plenty of teaser trailers and first-look footage clips have been released. Set for an early 2023 premiere, there have been questions about the film’s potential place in Sony’s Spider-Man universes and the wider MCU’s multiverse, especially given Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s previous MCU turn as Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff).
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania – February 17, 2023
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is coming out in 2023, and anticipation is already building for the long-awaited threequel. Following on from Ant-Man and The Wasp, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) were confirmed for a third outing. Among the most noteworthy Marvel updates from SDCC 2022 is that Ant-Man 3 is that it will be the first movie in the MCU’s Phase 5. The duo will once again be joined by Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet van Dyne. Despite being played by Emma Fuhrmann in Avengers: Endgame, Kathryn Newton will assume the character of Cassie Lang. Peyton Reed once again took on directorial duties, working from a script penned by Rick and Morty‘s Jeff Loveness. Even though filming wrapped in 2021, the film has an early 2023 release date – a symptom of pandemic-fueled scheduling changes. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania should be worth the wait, though, as the shrinking superheroes will face their biggest challenge yet, with the iconic Marvel villain Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) making his big-screen debut.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – May 5, 2023
Marvel updates regarding Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 have been shaky for years, as the movie’s had a rocky road to production. Not least of these hiccups was director James Gunn’s firing by Disney after offensive jokes he made on Twitter years earlier resurfaced. After both fans and colleagues came out fiercely in support of Gunn, the decision was made to rehire him – though not before he’d been snapped up by Warner Bros. to direct The Suicide Squad. Gunn moved swiftly from that to a Peacemaker TV spinoff. This and various other Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 delays meant that filming didn’t start until 2021’s final months. The Guardians 3 plot is under wraps but will provide a closer look at Rocket Raccoon’s backstory and have Peter Quill dealing with a version of Gamora who doesn’t remember him. However, the full cast is confirmed as returning following cameo appearances from the Guardians in Thor: Love and Thunder. Will Poulter will finally be bringing Adam Warlock to the screen after 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 post-credits tease, and Chukwudi Iwuji will play the High Evolutionary, an interesting character from Marvel comics.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – June 2, 2023
The next upcoming Spider-Man movie is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Another Sony Pictures entry, Mile Morales is swinging back into multiplexes in 2023. This sequel to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has taken longer than anticipated to surface. In addition to developing the story, it took several years to animate. Fans aren’t too concerned Sony have taken their time though, especially with the visuals. The animation of Miles Morales’ movie debut is partly why it became one of the most beloved superhero movies ever released. Shortly before Into the Spider-Verse hit theaters, Sony Pictures confirmed plans to produce a sequel. While story details are scarce, the trailers confirm that Gwen Stacy returns to Miles Morales’s earth to rope him into another Spider-Verse-spanning adventure. This time, though, it’s Miles who’ll visit various alternate realities, and Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) also looks set to play a key role. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse had initially webbed up a 2022 release date, but Sony has now pushed it back to the summer of 2023, which gives the animators enough time to ensure that the sequel lives up to the reputation of its original. Into the Spider-Verse 2 is already shaping up to be great, as it’s also said to include Japanese Spider-Man.
The Marvels – July 28, 2023
The Marvels is unusual among upcoming Marvel movies since it’s a sequel to both an MCU movie and a Disney+ series (while also heavily featuring a character who became a powered hero in WandaVision). While not a hit quite as big as the likes of Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel’s first adventure was still a massive success. As such, it’s no surprise that Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers is set to return for a sequel in the summer of 2023. Now officially retitled as The Marvels, the sequel will see Carol join forces with a now grown-up Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani). The latter made her debut in the Ms. Marvel Disney+ series. The Disney+ show laid a lot of groundwork for The Marvels, most notably with the Ms.Marvel post-credits scene which saw Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan swap places, with Carol emerging confused in Kamala’s bedroom (the walls of which are covered with Captain Marvel fan art). Monica Rambeau debuted her powers in WandaVision, and an alternate version of her mother Maria was the Captain Marvel of Earth-838 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Together, the trio will square off with Zawe Ashton’s mystery villain. Nia DaCosta has signed on to direct, with WandaVision‘s Megan McDonnell officially penning the script.
Blade – November 3, 2023
The upcoming MCU movie Blade has taken a long time. The Blade reboot has a script written by Stacy Osei-Kuffour, and the Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali is attached to play the vampiric-vampire-slaying titular hero. The MCU was dropping a lot of hints that Blade was not too far off after Easter eggs teased his existence in Loki, and Mahershala Ali’s Blade was then confirmed to be the voice speaking to Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman/Black Knight in Eternals. There isn’t much known about the MCU’s Blade reboot beyond Wesley Snipes’ absence and that the movie will narratively sit closely with The Eternals in the wider MCU canon, similar to the cosmic space-opera connection between Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy. It will also assuredly feature vampires since vampire-slaying is Blade’s thing. The original Blade starring Wesley Snipes has a huge following, many of whom aren’t aware the movie was even based on a comic book. The 1998 Blade and its sequels aren’t really superhero movies. They’re action films with undead villains, closer to the Underworld or Resident Evil movies than anything featuring capes and cowls. It will be interesting to see both how a Blade movie works when it acknowledges that character’s comic-book superhero origins and how fans of the original 1998 Blade film take to the character when he’s seen alongside the likes of Spider-Man or Thor.
Spider-Women – Release Date TBD
Intended as a spin-off from the original Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Women aims to be an all-female Spider-Man film. The movie will see Gwen Stacy’s Spider-Gwen return at the forefront. The characters of Jessica Drew (a.k.a. Spider-Woman) and Cindy Moon (a.k.a. Silk) are also planned for the film. Bek Smith is attached to write the screenplay and there are reportedly ongoing talks to have Lauren Montgomery direct Spider-Women. No release date has yet been confirmed though.
Madame Web – Release Date TBD
Another non-MCU Marvel release is Madame Web. A part of Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters, Madame Web has been in development since 2019. Cassandra Webb, a mutant and an ally of Spider-Man, is a clairvoyant who is blind and paralyzed, relying on a web-shaped life support system to survive. Sony rehired Morbius writers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, which gives them a shot at redemption after the much-memed Jared Leto movie flopped. S.J. Clarkson, who worked on Jessica Jones and The Defenders, is attached to direct, and Dakota Johnson has been confirmed as the titular Madame Web. Madame Web will be Sony Pictures’ first Marvel property adaptation with a female lead.
Jackpot – Release Date TBD
First announced to be under consideration by Sony in 2018, Jackpot was revealed in 2020 to have been fully under development since that time. Marc Guggenheim, who worked on the original comic books as well as TV shows like Supergirl and Arrow and movies like Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and Green Lantern, is working on the screenplay. Jackpot is a moniker used by two people in the Marvel comics universe. First to use the title was Sara Ehret, who is given superpowers when exposed to a gene therapy experiment from an Oscorp subsidiary (sparking hopes of a Green Goblin future if this is the Jackpot the movie goes with). Later, Alana Jobson buys the title from Ehret and uses enhancement drugs to mimic her powers before becoming an ally of Spider-Man.
Confirmed Marvel Movies Releasing After 2023
Marvel’s intended release date calendar has always been long-term. The MCU Phases 4, 5, and 6 (now collectively dubbed «The Multiverse Saga») are no different. On top of this, Sony’s multiple Spider-Man projects appear to be getting into full swing, too. There’s a full roster of upcoming Marvel movies in 2024 and beyond that have confirmed release dates, and Phase 5 alone will continue well into 2024. In addition to this, the third film in Sony’s animated Miles Morales Spider-Verse trilogy, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is currently also slated for a 2024 release.
Related: Now We Know Why Marvel Wanted Fantastic 4 Before MCU Mutants
Captain America: New World Order, which will see Sam Wilson taking up the mantle on the big screen, has been pegged for a May 3, 2024 release. Thunderbolts, speculated by some to be the MCU’s answer to Suicide Squad, will debut on July 26th of the same year. The final 2024 MCU movie will be Fantastic Four on November 8th. The Fantastic Four are among the most anticipated MCU additions, although it’s not been confirmed whether John Krasinski will play the Earth-616 Reed Richards. As for when the next Avengers movie will be, fans will have to wait until 2025. However, there will be not one but two Avengers movies hitting theaters that year — Avengers: The Kang Dynasty on May 2, 2025, and Avengers: Secret Wars on November 7th. With Kang now confirmed as the MCU’s second Big Bad after Thanos and the confirmed MCU movie release dates across Phases 4, 5, and 6, there’s no shortage of upcoming Marvel movies for fans to sink their teeth into.