Blade (2025 Film)

Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Phase Six features all of the Marvel Studios productions set to be released starting from mid-2025 to mid-2027, with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributing the films. The first film in the phase will be ''Fantastic Four'', scheduled for release in May 2025. Kevin Feige produces every film in this phase.

The films of the phase include ''Fantastic Four'', as well as the ensembles '' Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'' and '' Avengers: Secret Wars''. Three unannounced films are set for release in 2026. Phase Six, along with Phase Four and Phase Five, constitutes The Multiverse Saga.

Development

By April 2014, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said that additional storylines for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) were planned through 2028. At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019, Feige announced Marvel Studios was developing a Fantastic Four film for the MCU. ''Fantastic Four'' was formally confirmed in December 2020; the film was believed to be a part of Phase Four at that time. In April 2022, Feige said he and Marvel Studios were on a creative retreat to plan and discuss the MCU films for the following 10 years, and in June 2022, said information on the next saga of the MCU would be provided in the following months, with Marvel Studios being a "little more direct" on their future plans to provide audiences with "the bigger picture o theycan see a tiny, tiny bit more of the roadmap" following the clues included during Phase Four.

At Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con panel in July 2022, Feige announced that ''Fantastic Four'' would be the first film of Phase Six. He also announced that the phase would conclude with two ensemble films, '' Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'' and '' Avengers: Secret Wars'', both to be released in 2025, and that Phase Six, along with Phase Four and Phase Five, would be part of the Multiverse Saga. Feige noted that while not all projects in Phase Six or the previous two would directly tie into the larger Multiverse storyline, the various storylines that would weave together leading into ''Secret Wars'' was "a whole new aspect to the MCU". In October, Marvel Studios delayed the Phase Five film '' Blade'' to September 2024 and pushed back the releases of ''Fantastic Four'' and ''Avengers: Secret Wars'' as a result. In early February 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the company would be re-evaluating the volume of content it output as a way to cut costs over the next few years. Shortly after, when reflecting on the amount of Disney+ content released for Phase Four in a short time frame, Feige anticipated that Marvel Studios would look to space out the releases of the Phase Five and Six Disney+ series or put fewer out each year "so they can each get a chance to shine".

The start of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike in May 2023 was not expected to impact the MCU projects in production, or preparing to begin production, at that time, namely ''Fantastic Four'', with Marvel Studios reportedly planning to shoot what they could during principal photography and make any necessary writing adjustments during each project's already scheduled reshoots. In June, Disney delayed ''Fantastic Four'' to May 2, 2025, ''Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'' to May 1, 2026, and ''Avengers: Secret Wars'' to May 7, 2027, in part due to the writers' strike and Disney's intentions to improve the quality of MCU content from writing through post-production after disappointing reception and lower post COVID-19 pandemic box office earnings for several recently-released films. The following month, Iger stated the company would be reducing spending and creation of Marvel content, admitting that Marvel Studios' expansion into Disney+ series and more films had "diluted focus and attention" after a number of underachieving films at the box office in Phases Four and Five.

Marvel Studios has three unannounced films set for February 13, July 24, and November 6, 2026.

Films

''Fantastic Four'' (2025)

At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019, Kevin Feige announced Marvel Studios was developing a Fantastic Four film for the MCU, with Jon Watts announced as the director in December 2020. Watts stepped down in April 2022 to take a break from superhero projects. By late August, Matt Shakman, who directed the Marvel Studios Disney+ series '' WandaVision'' (2021), was in early talks to direct the film, with Feige confirming him as the director the following month at the D23 Expo. Later in September, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were revealed to be writing the screenplay. Josh Friedman was rewriting the script by March 2023. Filming is scheduled to begin in January 2024 in London. ''Fantastic Four'' is scheduled to be released on May 2, 2025.

''Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'' (2026)

At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, Marvel Studios announced ''Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'', followed shortly after with the confirmation of Destin Daniel Cretton as director. In September, '' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'' (2023) writer Jeff Loveness was revealed to be writing the screenplay. Jonathan Majors is attached to reprise his role as Kang the Conqueror. Filming is scheduled to begin in early 2024. ''Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'' is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2026.

''Avengers: Secret Wars'' (2027)

At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, Marvel Studios announced ''Avengers: Secret Wars''. In October, Michael Waldron was revealed to be writing the screenplay, after previously serving as head writer for the first season of ''Loki'' (2021) and the writer of '' Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'' (2022). Majors is attached to reprise his role as Kang. ''Avengers: Secret Wars'' is scheduled to be released on May 7, 2027.

Recurring cast and characters

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phase Six, Marvel Cinematic Universe

2025 beginnings
Phase 6