The next wave of additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been highly anticipated ever since the release of Avengers: Endgame on April 26, 2019. Marvel fans got their first in-depth look at the 26 movies and TV shows that would eventually become Phase 4 at San Diego Comic Con in 2019. 

However, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in Marvel’s plans, disrupting and delaying production and pushing back many official release dates. Here is everything there is to know about Marvel’s upcoming Phase 4 releases.

Release dates for shows and movies which have not been filmed to completion are subject to change. 

TV SHOWS

Legends

 Legends  takes a look back at Marvel’s famous heroes, villains and iconic moments in preparation for the forthcoming productions. The first four episodes of Legends have already been released and detail the stories of Wanda Maximoff and the Vision, who are the focus of the show WandaVision, as well as the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 

Legends appears to be a series of shorts, as Wanda and the Winter Soldier’s episodes were 8 minutes long, and Vision and the Falcon’s were 7 minutes long. 

The first two episodes of Legends were released on Jan. 8, 2021, with the third and fourth airing on Mar. 5, 2021.

WandaVision

Starring Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau—daughter of Maria Rambeau and a Captain of the organization S.W.O.R.D.—WandaVision “is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision—two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems,” according to Marvel.

WandaVision is a prequel to Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness and a sequel to Avengers: Endgame. 

Olsen and Bettany are both MCU veterans, each making their first appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron and becoming regulars on the Marvel screen. 

Matt Shakman is the director of the series with Jac Schaeffer as head writer. 

WandaVision has been released in full and can be viewed on Disney+. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Marvel announced that in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier  Sam Wilson, the Falcon, who is portrayed by Anthony Mackie, and Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, who is played by Sebastian Stan, will “team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities—and their patience…”

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a sequel to Avengers: Endgame.

Both characters and actors have played in previous Marvel movies and were seen together in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which was Mackie’s first movie with Marvel and Stan’s second after Captain America: The First Avenger. Mackie made a cameo appearance in Ant-Man, and was next seen on the Marvel screen alongside Stan in Captain America: Civil War and the last two installments of the Avengers saga, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is directed by Kari Skogland and the head writer for the series was Malcolm Spellman.

The first episode of the series is being released on March 19, 2021, and the sixth and final episode of the first season will stream on Disney+ on April 23, 2021.

Loki

In Loki, Tom Hiddleston is set to reprise his role as the God of Mischief, and Owen Wilson will start his Marvel career with the character Mobius M. Mobius, a member of the Time Variance Authority and Loki’s captor.

Loki is set after the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Hiddleston’s first Marvel movie was Thor, and he was seen in the next two productions of that series as well as playing the villain in Avengers. Hiddleston also made a short appearance in Avengers: Endgame, and it can be gathered from that appearance and the preview to Loki that the show’s events will start with the results of that scene from Endgame.

Kate Herron directed Loki, which was written by Michael Waldron.

There will be six episodes in the first season of Loki, with the first premiering in May 2021 on Disney+.

What If… ?

What If…? is the only animated show to be announced for Phase 4. It will explore “pivotal moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and [turn] them on their head, leading the audience into uncharted territory,” according to IMDb. Jeffrey Wright will voice the Watcher, with Hayley Atwell as the voice of Peggy Carter. 

Hayley Atwell has been portraying Peggy Carter since she arrived on the Marvel scene in 2011 for Captain America: The First Avenger. This will be Jeffrey Wright’s first appearance with Marvel. 

What If… ? was directed by Bryan Andrew and written by Ashley Bradley.

Two seasons have been announced, with 10 episodes in the first, to be released on Disney+ starting in the summer of 2021.

Ms. Marvel

Iman Vellani will play the title character in Ms. Marvel, starring alongside an extensive and diverse cast. Ms. Marvel will explain the story of 16-year-old Kamala Khan, who discovers that she has superpowers.

Ms. Marvel is a prequel to Captain Marvel 2. 

Iman Vellani will be making her debut performance in the acting world as Ms. Marvel.

Adil el Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy all worked as directors on the project, and Bisha K. Ali was the writer for Ms. Marvel.

The first season of Ms. Marvel will premiere on Disney+ in late 2021.

Hawkeye

Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld will be the stars of upcoming series Hawkeye, which will be “centering on the adventures of young Avenger, Kate Bishop, who took on the role after the original Avenger, Clint Barton,” according to IMDb. 

Hawkeye is a sequel to Avengers: Endgame.

Jeremy Renner will be returning to the MCU as Clint Barton, and Hailee Steinfeld will be making her debut performance with Marvel on the show. 

Rhys Thomas directed the series alongside Bert and Bertie, with Jonathan Igla as the head writer. 

Season one of Hawkeye will stream on Disney+ starting late in 2021. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Although no official roles have been announced, it can be assumed from the title that Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and Pom Klementieff, with Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel as voice actors, will be returning as the Guardians to, “engage in some spirited shenanigans,” according to IMDb.

The special is a sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy volumes 1 and 2, as well as Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder; it is a prequel to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3.

All of the Guardians and their respective actors have been seen before in the MCU in the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, as well as in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. 

James Gunn is going to both direct and write the series. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be released around the holidays in 2022, and will be available for viewing on Disney+.

She-Hulk

In She-Hulk, the series in Bruce Banner’s cousin Jennifer Walters, played by Tatiana Maslany will obtain characteristics like those of the Hulk. The Abomination, played by Tim Roth, as well as the Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, will be joined by She-Hulk Jennifer Walters. 

Both Ruffalo and Roth will be reprising their previous roles as the Hulk and Abomination, respectively, while Maslany will make her Marvel debut as She-Hulk. Ruffalo and Roth starred together as the hero and villain, respectively, in The Incredible Hulk, with Ruffalo later becoming a Marvel regular and appearing on screen in all four Avengers movies, Thor: Ragnarok, and Captain Marvel.

The series is being directed by Kat Coiro and Anu Valia, and written by Jessica Gao.

The release date for She-Hulk has yet to be announced, but it will consist of 10 episodes streaming on Disney+.

Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac will be starring in Moon Knight as former CIA agent Marc Spector, who is saved and given superhuman powers by the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu. There are reports that Ethan Hawke will portray the villain in Moon Knight, and that May Calamawy is on the cast. 

Isaac, Hawke, and Calamawy are all new to the Marvel scene.

Head writer Jeremy Slater is working with directors Mohamed Diab, Justin Benson, and Aaron Moorhead on the series. 

Season 1 of Moon Knight will have six episodes and premiere on Disney+ on a date that remains unannounced. 

Secret Invasion

Samuel L. Jackson’s character Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s alien character Talos will “try to stop the Skrulls who have infiltrated the highest spheres of the Marvel Universe,” according to IMDb, in the upcoming series Secret Invasion.

Secret Invasion is a sequel to Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Jackson is an MCU regular, and starred alongside Mendelsohn in Captain Marvel. Jackson was previously seen in Iron Man 1 and 2, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and all four movies in the Avengers saga. 

Secret Invasion’s director(s) and head writer have yet to be announced.

The first season of 6 episodes does not have a confirmed release date, but will stream on Disney+ upon its completion.

Ironheart

Dominique Thorne will play Riri Williams in Ironheart, in which her inventive character, “creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man,” according to IMDb.

Thorne will step into the suit of a Marvel character for the first time with her portrayal of Riri Williams. 

There are no confirmed directors or writers for the series yet.

Ironheart will stream on Disney+ on an unreleased date. 

Armor Wars

Armor Wars, featuring Don Cheadle as James Rhodes, will explore the possibilities of Stark technology falling into the wrong hands.

Cheadle is no rookie to Marvel productions, having been cast in all three Iron Man movies, as well as Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Captain Marvel. 

Directors and writers of Armor Wars have not been announced.

There is also no information about a set release date for the show premiering on Disney+. 

I am Groot

Much is unknown about I am Groot, but it is rumored to feature baby Groot and multiple new characters. 

No cast, crew, or release date has been announced for the show, but it will stream on Disney+ upon its release. 

In a recent update from the President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, it was announced that there is a possibility for some of the aforementioned TV shows to develop into features or continue on for another season. 

MOVIES

Black Widow

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O.T. Fagbenle, Rachel Weisz, William Hurt, and Ray Winstone, Black Widow will see Natasha Romanoff “confront the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger,” according to Marvel.

Black Widow falls between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

Both Johansson and Hurt have been cast in Marvel movies before, Johansson as Black Widow and Hurt as General Thaddeus Ross. Johansson has been seen as Black Widow in Iron Man 1 and 2, all 4 Avengers movies, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War, with cameos in Thor: Ragnarok and Captain Marvel. The rest of the cast are new to MCU productions, but Pugh will be returning as her character Yelena Belova in Hawkeye.

The director of the film was Cate Shortland, teamed with writers Eric Pearson, Jac Schaeffer, and Ned Benson.

Black Widow will premiere on May 7, 2021.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

In the upcoming film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi, portrayed by Simu Liu, “must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization,” according to Marvel. Liu will star in the movie with Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Ronny Cheng, and others. 

None of the cast of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings have been seen in previous Marvel productions.

This movie was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by David Callaham. 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will premiere on Jul. 9, 2021.

Eternals

Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanijani, Lauren Ridloff, Bryan Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Kit Harrington, Barry Keoghan, and Salma Hayek will be seen on-screen in the Eternals production.  This movie “features an exciting new team of Super Heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants,” according to Marvel. 

This film will be the first MCU experience each cast member will have, with the exception of Gemma Chan who played Doctor Minerva in Captain Marvel. 

Eternals was directed by Chloé Zhao, who co-wrote the movie with Matthew K. Firpo and Ryan Firpo. 

Eternals will appear in theaters on Nov. 5, 2021. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home will star Tom Holland as the title character, with Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori, Jamie Foxx, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alfred Molina alongside him. 

The film will serve as a sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home, and a prequel to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Holland, Tomei, Zendaya, Batalon, and Revolori have been seen together in both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Holland appears in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame with Cumberbatch, and Batalon makes a cameo appearance in the former.

Jon Watts directed Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. 

The movie is expected to be released on Dec. 17, 2021. 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams and Chiwetel Elijofor will be reprising their previous roles for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and will be joined by Xochitl Gomez. 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a sequel to Doctor Strange, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, and a crossover and sequel to WandaVision and Loki.

Cumberbatch, Wong, McAdams and Elijofor acted together in Doctor Strange, with Cumberbatch, Wong, and Olsen being seen together in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. 

The production is being directed by Sam Raimi and written by Michael Waldron. 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will premiere on Mar. 25, 2022. 

Thor: Love and Thunder

Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Taika Waititi, Jaimie Alexander, and the voice of Vin Diesel will be returning to the MCU for Thor: Love and Thunder. There are also reports that Matt Damon will join the cast, and it has been announced that Jane Foster, Portman’s character, will become Mighty Thor, the Goddess of Thunder.

Thor: Love and Thunder is a sequel to the first three Thor movies and Avengers: Endgame, and a prequel to The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. 

With the exception of Christian Bale, each cast member of Thor: Love and Thunder has appeared before in various Marvel movies. Hemsworth has portrayed Thor in all 4 Avengers movies and the first three Thor movies; Thompson was seen as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame; Waititi acted as Korg in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame; Portman played Jane Foster in Thor, Thor: The Dark World, and is briefly seen in Avengers: Endgame; Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, and Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot starred in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, as well as the final two installments of the Avengers series; Jaimie Alexander played Sif in Thor and Thor: The Dark World. 

Taika Waititi is returning after Thor: Ragnarok to direct Thor: Love and Thunder and co-write with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. 

Thor: Love and Thunder will be released on May 6, 2022.

Black Panther II

Cast members who previously starred in Black Panther—including Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, and Winston Duke—are set to return to Marvel screens for Black Panther II. There are also reports that Tenoch Huerta will be joining the cast, as well as that Michael B. Jordan will reprise his role as Killmonger. 

After Chadwick Boseman lost his life to colon cancer in 2020, Marvel fans anxiously awaited a statement about the status of Black Panther II. Marvel announced that Boseman would not be replaced with another actor or a CGI version of the King of Wakanda in the upcoming film. 

Black Panther II is a sequel to Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame.

The cast was first seen together in Black Panther, and Wright, Gurira and Duke were cast as their characters in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, in which Bassett also had a cameo.

The film will be directed and written by Ryan Coogler.

Black Panther II has a release date of Jul. 8, 2022, and will be premiering in theaters on that date. 

Captain Marvel 2

In Captain Marvel 2, Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani have been cast to play lead roles. 

The film is a sequel to Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, as well as a crossover and sequel to WandaVision and Ms. Marvel. 

Larson has been seen as Captain Marvel in Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, Parris plays her character Monica Rambeau in WandaVision, and Vellani plays Ms. Marvel in the upcoming TV show by the same name. 

Captain Marvel 2 is set to be directed by Nia DaCosta, with writing done by Megan McDonnell. 

This sequel is to be released on Nov. 11, 2022. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, and Pom Klementieff, as well as the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, will return as the Guardians of the Galaxy in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The group will be joined on screen by Elizabeth Debicki and Sean Gunn.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a sequel to the first two films of the saga, as well as Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

All but Debicki are well-known Marvel cast members and have been seen together in  both of the first Guardians of the Galaxy productions, as well as in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

James Gunn will both direct and write the third Guardians of the Galaxy movie. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will hit theaters in 2023.  

Blade

Mahershala Ali will play the title character in his first Marvel movie Blade. Little more information is known about the production, and other cast, crew; a release date has not been announced. 

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will star Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Doulgas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton, and Jonathan Majors.

The film will act as a sequel to Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Avengers: Endgame.

This will be Newton’s and Majors’s first Marvel experience, while Rudd, Lilly and Douglas starred together in Ant-Man, and were joined by Pfeiffer for Ant-Man and the Wasp. Rudd, Lilly and Douglas also made a cameo appearance in the end credits of Avengers: Infinity War, and Rudd and Lilly returned for Avengers: Endgame, with Douglas having another cameo appearance in that film. 

Peyton Reed will direct Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Jeff Loveness is the head writer. 

A release date is yet to be announced for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Fantastic Four

Hardly anything is known about the production of the Fantastic Four movie. However, it is known that the characters Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm will be in the film, and Jon Watts will be directing it. 

In a survey taken about Marvel’s Phase 4 releases, 25 out of 40 students who responded said they were most excited for the upcoming movies. Spider-Man: No Way Home is most anticipated of the movies, with Black Widow and Black Panther II following at a close second. 

Jeannie Ngansop, ‘26, who is looking forward to the future of Marvel’s movies, said, “I really love watching the movies with my friends.” 

Riley Weisman, ‘26, is also eagerly awaiting Marvel’s new movies, and said, “I have always loved the movies, and I’m dying to know what happens after Endgame.”

Speaking of TV shows, many students are enjoying WandaVision, which released its seventh episode on Feb. 19, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki are also among the most anticipated shows, according to the same survey. 

Sharing his opinion on the battle of TV shows vs. movies, Abhin Pasare, ‘24 said, “I just like the flow of TV shows better than movies. Also there’s more content in TV shows.” 

And speaking on his own preference for TV shows, Declan Mohler, ‘25, said, “The TV show format allows for more creativity, they are allowed to explore specific qualities of certain characters without having to worry about keeping the movies short. They are allowed to create as many episodes as they like.”