Over the years, Marvel Studios has achieved great success with its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which has been one of the most successful franchises in film history. However, recent events in Hollywood and at Marvel Studios have put the future of the MCU’s Phase 6 slate in jeopardy.

At the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios announced its Phase 5 slate, which was met with great excitement from fans. However, since then, there have been some massive changes and delays, which have left fans wondering if the future of the MCU is uncertain.

Despite getting past the COVID-19 delays in 2020 and 2021, the backlash to Phase 4 led to some major behind-the-scenes changes. Marvel Studios is now focused on ensuring a quality-over-quantity approach to their films and TV shows.

However, even as things are getting back on track, Hollywood is now facing a writers’ and actors’ strike, which has resulted in further delays and cancellations. Many fans are concerned that this could push back the release dates for the MCU’s Phase 6 slate, which has not yet been officially announced by Marvel Studios.

Overall, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the MCU, but one thing is for sure – Marvel Studios is committed to delivering the best possible stories for their fans, even if it means facing some unexpected challenges along the way.

MCU Phase 6 Seems to be Delayed

The MCU recently made some major release adjustments to its Phases 5 and Phase 6 slate due to the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes, thus pushing back the releases of the upcoming Disney+ shows Echo, Ironheart, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, and Daredevil: Born Again.

At the time of the Phase 5 slate announcement at July 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con, Agatha: House of Harkness was set for release in Winter 2023/24, but the show, now going under the Agatha: Darkhold Diaries title, has since moved to Fall 2024.

Additionally, Echo, which was originally set to debut as Phase 5’s second of six Disney+ shows in Summer 2023, has now moved to January 2024 and will be the MCU chapter’s third show instead, jumping over Loki Season 2.

The four live-action MCU shows set for Phase 5 releases in 2024 and beyond include six episodes of Ironheart, nine episodes of Agatha, 18 episodes of Daredevil, and six episodes of Echo. Echo is also set to have all six of its episodes drop on the same day, marking a first for any live-action MCU series.

With roughly 34 weeks of content releases between the shows, it seems unlikely they will all make their way to Disney+ in 2024, especially with production on Daredevil: Born Again incomplete and at a standstill for now.

The release dates for Daredevil and Ironheart are now completely uncertain – even with the latter having finished production long ago – having once been dated for Spring 2024 and Fall 2023, respectively.

While Phase 5 was once set to conclude with Thunderbolts in July 2024, that movie has since shifted to December. With several of Phase 5’s Disney+ shows unlikely to be done by the end of 2024, and even Thunderbolts’ December release seeming less likely, the MCU chapter ought to continue well into 2025.

That had already become somewhat apparent when Blade jumped over Thunderbolts from November 2023 to February 2025, although it’s unclear whether that still falls into Phase 5 or now Phase 6.

The Phase 6 slate from Comic-Con had an untitled first project set for Fall 2024 and Fantastic Four planned to release in November. So, it now appears likely the Multiverse Saga’s final Phase will begin around Summer 2025 after Blade.

Most were expecting the Fall 2024 date to go to the Wonder Man series, which was forced to pause production and will now likely be pushed back a while, thereby moving the Phase 6 start to around late Spring to early Summer 2025.

But even that relies on the ongoing Hollywood strikes closing out in the not-too-distant future and not pushing these projects back even further. It also appears the Phase 5 line-up has expanded, with Deadpool 3 currently dated for May 2024 and now coming before two of the slate’s original movies.

Every Movie and Show Expected to Release in MCU Phase 6

Marvel Studios’ Phase 6 slate has been the subject of much speculation and anticipation, with fans eager to find out which new movies and Disney+ series will be added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As of now, only three projects have been officially announced for the slate – Fantastic Four, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Avengers: Secret Wars.

During the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios unveiled a timeline that left eight spaces for unannounced projects, one of which has been confirmed to be Wonder Man. With the studio claiming three release dates in 2026 – February 13, July 26, and November 6 – it’s likely that four more Disney+ series will be added to the Phase 6 roster.

As for the three movies, it’s widely believed that Don Cheadle’s Iron Man spin-off Armor Wars will be one of them, with the other two likely going to Shang-Chi 2 and Doctor Strange 3. Both these sequels are expected to be part of the current saga, which will conclude with Avengers: Secret Wars. This means that Eternals 2 will likely be pushed to the next saga.

Spider-Man 4 is another highly anticipated addition to Phase 6, but it won’t be included in the slate revealed by Marvel Studios. Instead, it will be distributed by Sony Pictures, even though it fits into the MCU. Based on current predictions, the movie could hit theaters on June 27, 2025.

There are also four Disney+ series that are expected to be part of Phase 6. Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight Season 2 seem like obvious choices, along with a Vision Quest spin-off to WandaVision that’s currently in development. The fourth show is still a mystery, but She-Hulk Season 2 could be a possibility.

Many Marvel fans are also wondering about the fate of Deadpool 3, which was originally announced as part of the Phase 5 slate. However, its release date suggests that it may have been pushed to Phase 6 as a late addition.

It’s worth noting that the lines between MCU Phases have become increasingly blurred in recent years, with no clear separation in storylines between the chapters in the Multiverse Saga, as was the case with the Infinity Saga. This lack of build-up over several-year periods may have contributed to the reduced interest in the larger MCU storyline. After all, the wait between Endgame and The Kang Dynasty will be about seven years.

Despite this, Marvel Studios is still committed to delivering top-quality content to its fans, with the first officially dated Phase 6 project being Fantastic Four, which is set to hit theaters on May 2, 2025.