The Marvel Cinematic Universe is only a fraction of the age of the James Bond franchise, and yet it has already produced more hours of story than just about any series that came before. If you wanted to watch the Marvel movies in order, it would take you an extremely long timr. The franchise is now moving in so many different directions that while fans used to be excited for whatever the next Marvel thing was, it’s easier now to just focus on whatever corner of the MCU is your personal jam.
There are lots of upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming Marvel TV shows on the way, and while I certainly plan to watch them all, I’d be lying if I said that I was equally excited for all of them. While I hope every one of these becomes one of the best Marvel movies or TV shows, that does seem unlikely. Here’s a look at everything that has been officially announced as being part of the future Marvel Cinematic Universe, ranked by my personal excitement level.
12. What If…? (Season 2)
What…If…? Season One was excellent. It was cool to see Captain Carter before we saw her in live-action, or to see an alternate take on Black Panther’s history. I’m certainly looking forward to the next season of What If…?, but I’m not sure how “excited” I am. Some of the forthcoming episodes, like an adaptation of Nei Gaiman’s 1602, are sure to be amazing, but the episodic nature of the show would almost guarantee there will be misses as well as hits.
11. Blade
I was as excited as anybody when Kevin Feige took the Hall H stage at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 and announced that an MCU Blade movie was coming, and that Mahershala Ali would play the role, but it’s been a long time since then. Blade is clearly having script issues, and four years and several release date changes later, I’m far from confident this one is in a good place right now.
10. Agatha: Darkhold Diaries
Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harness was the highlight of WandaVision, one of the best Marvel Disney+ series made so far, so of course I’m excited by the possibility of an Agatha series. But like Blade, this one looks like maybe it’s having issues because a great idea, by itself, doesn’t make a great series. They can't even settle on a title for the Agatha series, which feels like a bad sign.
9. Daredevil: Born Again
It’s difficult to not get hyped over a new Daredevil series. The Netflix series with Charlie Cox was excellent overall, and so I will always be excited by the idea of more from this character. However, Daredevil: Born Again is having its own production issues, so I’m trying to keep my excitement in check.
8. Captain America: Brave New World
This one would be higher on the list if we had more details about Captain America: Brave New World and what it is really going to be. Overall, I am really excited by the movie, as it will be the first time that a legacy MCU title is being carried by a new actor and character. I love that we’re getting a new Captain America in the MCU, and I can’t wait to see what he does.
7.Ironheart
This one would likely be lower on the list simply because we know next to nothing about it. However, I haven’t been as excited by anything in the MCU in a while as I was about the ending of The Marvels, teasing a Young Avengers team-up, and it seems likely that Ironheart the character will be part of that team. So now I’m more excited for Ironheart the show.
6. Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts is described as Marvel’s version of The Suicide Squad, and what is there to not get excited about when it comes to that? It’s a collection of characters who, generally speaking, stole the show in their various movies and TV shows where they were supporting characters, so I can’t wait to see what they do when they’re given center stage.
5. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
It’s a movie with Avengers in the title, so it’s impossible to not be excited by it. Having said that, the fact that it’s years away, that we have no idea who the Avengers even are anymore, and the fact that (maybe) the Kang movie is going to get significantly retooled tempers that excitement a bit.
4. Fantastic Four
More than 10 years in, it feels like the Marvel Cinematic Universe must be running out of characters to introduce but we know there’s at least one more team coming, and it’s one of the biggest that there could possibly be. The First Family of Marvel Comics has had a tough time at the movies, but they are some of the most important comic book characters to ever exist, so their MCU debut is going to be a big deal when it finally happens.
3. Avengers: Secret Wars
The Avengers are Marvel’s greatest team. Secret Wars is one of Marvel Comics' most iconic storylines. Bring these two things together, and even though we know literally nothing else, it’s impossible to avoid getting pumped up. The expectations on this one are going to be huge. Whether it’s the end of one MCU arc, or the beginning of another, it’s going to be big.
2. Echo
Echo isn’t the biggest name on this list. In fact, it is absolutely the smallest, but Echo has a leg up in the hype department because we’ve actually seen an Echo trailer, and it looks amazing. When the trailer tells you to make sure your parental controls are properly set, it’s warning you this one is going to be brutal in a way the MCU has not been before. That doesn’t mean it will be great, but it does mean it will be different, and that’s exciting.
1. Deadpool 3
What is there to say? More Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. The return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. And also it’s in the MCU and is probably going to include cameos from every actor to ever wear a set of tights, and maybe also Taylor Swift. This sounds insane but in only the best way. If the MCU is going to let Deadpool be Deadpool, and it seems like it is, we’re in for a treat.
And this is just the list of MCU projects that we know for sure is happening. There are countless more that have been rumored and reported. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is not going anywhere, and even after all these years, I’m still excited about it.
