Looking at the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it currently exists, there's no argument that the franchise peaked from 2018 to 2019. Millions around the world were losing their minds with excitement because of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and that hype was so big that it rubbed off on to the smaller features in between – namely Ant-Man And The Wasp and Captain Marvel. Given the immense success that came out of the scheduling strategy, one would think that the canon would attempt to replicate it with the upcoming Marvel movies Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret War – but today we have news that won't be happening.
In 2026, MCU fans will have two blockbusters to look forward to, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day scheduled for July and Avengers: Doomsday set for December, but it appears that fans are going to have to wait a full year after that for more canon action on the big screen. In a news story about the new release date for The Simpsons Movie 2 (which will be heading to theaters on July 23, 2027), Variety says that there won't be any other Marvel Studios film released in 2027 other than Avengers: Secret Wars.
At a time when MCU movies aren't doing as well on the big screen as they were in the first three phases of the franchise, this seems like a missed opportunity. While it can't be said that Ant-Man And The Wasp set the world on fire when it came out a few months after Avengers: Infinity War, one can point to the fact that it made $100 million more than its predecessor at the box office. And as the warm-up act for Avengers: Endgame in 2019, Captain Marvel ended up earning $1.1 billion worldwide (a stark contrast to the box office performance of its sequel). Unless Avengers: Doomsday ends up being a total trainwreck, there's going to be hype coming out of the blockbuster, and it feels odd that Marvel Studios isn't preparing to take advantage of it with some new blockbusters.
The franchise does have announced projects that are currently sitting on the back burner waiting to get some real forward momentum – including Blade, Shang-Chi 2 and Armor Wars – but if those movies do have a future, it appears as though it won't be realized until Phase 7 and whatever is envisioned for what is coming after The Multiverse Saga.
Avengers: Doomsday (featuring an outrageous ensemble cast that would be obnoxious to post here in full) began shooting back in April and wrapped earlier this month – with reshoots expected as the blockbuster goes through post-production next year in advance of its December 18 release date. The filming of Avengers: Secret Wars, meanwhile, is being planned for 2026 in preparation for its debut on the big screen on December 17, 2027.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
