Fresh off the release of the official trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios is wasting no time in teasing what is next for the MCU. As the upcoming event film, and its follow-up, Secret Wars, are set to shake up the cinematic universe, the studio is already looking over a decade ahead into the future.
While speaking during a press Q&A in Shanghai, China, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige revealed that the company recently had a meeting to discuss the future of the MCU. According to Feige, this included “planning movies all the way up to 2042.” Although he is not certain if they will make it up to the point, admitting that the specific movies may not be made, he likened the process to how Marvel plans and ideates stories for the comics. Here is a translated version of the interview:
“We were just in a Marvel Studios meeting room, planning movies all the way up to 2042. Whether we can make it to 2042? Who knows? Will it be those movies? Who knows? But this is how we approach and plan the vast amount of potential stories in the comics.”
Marvel Studios planning its future over a decade in advance may sound like a hyperbolic measure, especially since the Multiverse Saga was not nearly as well-received as the Infinity Saga. However, with both Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday looking to dominate the box office, ensuring the MCU has a plan, no matter the outcome, could work in their favor. And, as Feige notes, none of it may actually come to fruition, which is easy to believe, especially since he recently admitted he felt like a “failure” for not being able to get a Blade film made.
The official slate of MCU projects in the works is actually quite scarce. Marvel Studios has only confirmed Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars on its theatrical release schedule, while other titles are in various stages of development. Other previously announced projects include a new X-Men film, Black Panther 3, and Blade, the last of which has lost its spot on the schedule and has no director in sight. On the Disney+ side, Vision Quest is officially expected to premiere on the streamer in the near future.
With Marvel Studios holding release dates for unnamed feature-length productions in 2028, there are several major projects that could fill them out. Besides X-Men and Black Panther 3, those rumored to form part of the MCU slate include a Fantastic Four sequel, Shang-Chi 2, and Nova, which recently recruited the showrunner behind Loki to pen the script. Marvel is expected to officially announce its slate closer to the release of Secret Wars, but there is a chance that fans get to hear about the future of the MCU this weekend during the Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
Release Date
December 18, 2026
Runtime
165 Minutes