Marvel has kind of taken over the film industry. It started in 2008 with Iron Man, which many believed was just a simple “B level” superhero movie. They thought nothing more of it. But then Nick Fury showed up during the credits to mention the Avengers Initiative. Here we sit 11 years and 20 films later as Marvel Studios has grown into the highest grossing film franchise in history, having made more than a combined $15 billion.
2018 saw Avengers: Infinity War become only the fourth movie to ever crack the $2 billion mark. Still, the way that film ended left things up in the air. Many beloved characters perished when Thanos wiped out half the universe. Of course, that won’t slow down the unstoppable juggernaut that is the MCU. They have plenty of films lined up going forward.
Captain Marvel
The post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War offered a glimmer of hope. Just as Nick Fury faded away into dust, he transmitted a signal to the previously unseen Captain Marvel. Before we get the follow up to that story, we need to learn about Captain Marvel. Brie Larson will play the titular character, also known as Carol Danvers, in a history-making turn as she will be the first female to lead her own solo MCU film. The movie is set to explore her origin story, taking us all the way back to the 1990s. The cosmic hero will team with an alien race called the Krees against shape-shifters called the Skrulls. Faces from the MCU’s past will appear like Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, and Lee Pace as Ronan. Also set to star are Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, Lashana Lynch, and more.
Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8, 2019
Avengers: Endgame
The big one. Everyone is dying to know the aftermath of Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) victory in Avengers: Infinity War. The trailers indicate that the world is suffering from great loss. Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) try to pick up the pieces on Earth. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) are stranded in space. Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) return and seem to offer hope. Nobody knows what’s going to happen, but with several of the stars’ contracts expiring, it could be the end for some of our most beloved heroes.
Avengers: Endgame arrives on April 26, 2019
Spider-Man: Far From Home
We’ve seen three live-action iterations of Peter Parker in the past two decades. Most fans seem to believe that Tom Holland plays it better than anyone else. The eager, earnest teenager brings a likability to the role that is almost unmatched. Spider-Man: Homecoming was a smash hit in 2017 and Holland was a standout in the loaded Avengers: Infinity War. This solo sequel will see Parker on a field trip to Europe, hoping to relax. However, his fun is interrupted by Nick Fury, and he’s pitted against the villainous Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Returning are Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Ned, Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, and Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, while Cobie Smulders joins as Maria Hill.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is set to release on July 5, 2019
Black Widow
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This might be the most surprising entry on the list. Scarlett Johansson has starred as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow since way back in 2010’s Iron Man 2. This year’s Avengers: Endgame will mark her seventh time playing the character. However, she’s never done so in her very own solo film. Fans have clamored for it for years and it was finally greenlit. Cate Shortland was picked as director and Jac Schaeffer is working on the script.
Black Widow is currently set for 2020 release.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
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Talk about a movie having some issues. The first two installments of Guardians of the Galaxy are among the most popular and most well-received MCU entries to date. Writer and director James Gunn had a vision for the characters that was almost perfect. However, Gunn was fired by Disney after an offensive series of old tweets surfaced. The entire cast was vocal about their support for Gunn, but Disney has stood strong. With no director, the film has been pushed back from its original 2020 release date. Gunn’s script is apparently still being used, while everyone is slated to return. That includes Chris Pratt (Peter Quill), Cooper, Dave Bautista (Drax), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Vin Diesel (Groot), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), and Gillan.
The film is tentatively scheduled for February 2021.
Black Panther Sequel
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Black Panther was a massive hit, grossing $1.347 billion. It made names like Chadwick Boseman and Letitia Wright into household names, shined a brighter light on stars like Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o, and gave Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker another moment in the sun. MCU mega-producer Kevin Feige said there absolutely were already ideas for the direction of the second film. Last October, Ryan Coogler signed a deal to direct again, while fan favorite Letitia Wright (Shuri) is on board.
Marvel has two films set for 2020 and three each for 2021 and 2022. You can slot this somewhere in there.
Doctor Strange Sequel
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2016’s Doctor Strange grossed nearly $700 million. The hero then went on to be one of the show stealers during Avengers: Infinity War. Though no official announcement of a sequel was made, director Scott Derrickson announced he quietly finalized a deal to return. Benedict Cumberbatch (Stephen Strange), Benedict Wong (Wong), and Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer) are all set to return.
Like the sequel for Black Panther, you can expect this in either 2021 or 2022.
