The Marvel Universe will enter bold new cinematic territory after this year.
Both “Avengers: Endgame” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” are set to come to theaters in April and July; beyond that, details about the MCU’s future are sketchy. But some information has come to light: Marvel Studios has eight release dates for yet-to-be-titled movies from 2020 to 2022. The release dates are currently set for May 1 and November 6, 2020; February 12, May 7, and November 5, 2021; and February 18, May 6, and July 29, 2022.
Disney, which owns Marvel, is expected to close its merger with Fox on Wednesday, at which point Disney will own the film rights to all of Fox’s Marvel characters, including the X-Men, Deadpool, and Fantastic Four. It’s unclear how Marvel Studios would use these characters because Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios’ president, has not yet been approved to develop projects for them. But fret not, as Marvel still has other movies in the works that could fill those release dates.
Here are six Marvel flicks on target for release in the next few years:
Black Panther Sequel. “Black Panther” was the highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office last year, with over $700 million, and it made over $1 billion worldwide — a sequel was inevitable. Ryan Coogler has signed on to return to write and direct it.
Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow has been an Avenger since the beginning. She debuted in 2010 in “Iron Man 2” and has since starred in every “Avengers” movie, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” and “Captain America: Civil War.” So it’s about time she got her own movie. The Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland will direct the solo movie, expected to be a prequel following the character’s past as a Russian spy.
Dr. Strange Sequel. Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, has been positioned as one of the anchors of the franchise in a post-“Endgame” MCU. The director Scott Derrickson is returning for the sequel to 2016’s hit first movie, which grossed $678 million worldwide.
The Eternals. Chloé Zhao, who directed “The Rider,” is directing “The Eternals,” based on the legendary creator Jack Kirby’s comic about godlike Celestials. The movie is likely to push the MCU’s cosmic stories into new territory, beyond just “Guardians of the Galaxy” or, more recently, “Captain Marvel.”
Guardians of the Galaxy 3. In a surprising reversal, Disney last week reinstated James Gunn to direct the third “Guardians of the Galaxy. You may recall the studio firing the director – in spite of strong support from cast members – last July when years-old offensive tweets resurfaced. Warner Bros. has also hired Gunn to write and direct a new “Suicide Squad” movie, which he’ll complete before Marvel Studios starts production of “Guardians of the Galaxy 3.”
Shang Chi. Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed “Short Term 12,” will direct “Shang-Chi,” Marvel Studios’ first movie starring an Asian superhero. In the comics, he’s known as the “Master of Kung-Fu.” This is great timing for Marvel, since the success of “Crazy Rich Asians” has proven that films filled with Asian actors and themes can pull in blockbuster returns.
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