Marvel Reveals Initial Plans for Phase 7 Movies

Like Doctor Strange himself, Marvel Studios looks toward the future with a release calendar extending past the events of Avengers: Secret Wars, which is currently set to hit theaters in December 2027. At San Diego Comic-Con and D23 during the summer of 2026, Marvel Studios unveiled a look at what waits in 2028 and beyond.

Marvel has locked in several major projects. The new X-Men movie arrives May 5, 2028, followed by Ghost Rider starring Ryan Gosling on July 28, 2028, and Black Panther 3 on Dec. 15, 2028. Two claimed slots on Marvel’s theatrical calendar remain mysteries:

• May 4, 2029
• July 13, 2029

Marvel’s release calendar remains subject to change, but plans after Secret Wars are becoming easier to read. The next era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will not rely on the same heroes who carried the Infinity Saga. Instead, the X-Men and supernatural characters appear poised to take the spotlight.

Based on announced projects, Kevin Feige’s comments, and the studio’s current direction, Phase 7 takes shape through several key releases, keeping in mind that the two 2029 movies remain speculative.

Avengers: Secret Wars (Dec. 17, 2027)

In the wake of Doomsday, Marvel’s Secret Wars drops heroes into a harrowing situation. The title evokes two landmark comic-book crossovers. The 1984 story brought heroes and villains together on a patchwork planet created by the Beyonder, while Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić’s 2015 series followed Doctor Doom as he ruled a new Battleworld assembled from the remains of destroyed realities.

That makes Secret Wars ripe territory for a timeline reset. The MCU established discarded realities through the Void in Loki, and Battleworld could bring surviving pieces of the multiverse together one last time. Secret Wars could give Marvel a clean starting point for new versions of the X-Men, Avengers, and other familiar characters.

X-Men (May 5, 2028)

The new X-Men movie is officially set to become the first major Phase 7 release. The studio spent years preparing audiences for mutants, from Ms. Marvel revealing Kamala Khan’s heritage to Deadpool & Wolverine bringing characters from Fox’s X-Men universe into the fold.

Following Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, Marvel will establish a new mutant status quo. Director Jake Schreier’s movie features a younger team led by Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey, Kit Connor’s Cyclops, and Christopher Abbott’s Professor X, alongside Adam Driver playing Mister Sinister.

Introducing this X-Men team immediately after Secret Wars signals the beginning of another era. Feige highlighted the importance of mutants to the MCU’s future, and the May release date positions the movie as a major franchise launch. The X-Men serve as the closest thing the studio has to an Avengers-level centerpiece.

Ghost Rider (July 28, 2028)

The next Phase 7 pillar is Shawn Levy’s Ghost Rider, positioned as one of Marvel’s biggest supernatural swings. Gosling’s casting increased interest in Johnny Blaze’s return to the big screen, following darker projects like Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night.

Marvel set Ghost Rider for July 28, 2028. Story details are unavailable, but Gosling approached Marvel with a specific interest in playing the character. That personal investment mirrors Ryan Reynolds helping shape Deadpool.

Black Panther 3 (Dec. 15, 2028)

Black Panther 3 is set for Dec. 15, 2028, continuing the tradition of placing major Wakanda stories in the holiday season. Ryan Coogler returns to helm the installment. With the Avengers landscape changing, Wakanda could become one of the MCU’s most important political and technological powers.

The movie follows an older Prince T’Challa II, played by David Jonsson, in a coming-of-age story centered on the son of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. Denzel Washington joins the cast in a role Coogler wrote for him, though Marvel has not revealed his character.

Shang-Chi 2 (May 4, 2029)

Moving into 2029, the strongest candidate for this slot is Shang-Chi 2. By then, nearly eight years will have passed since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi remains an underutilized hero, and his return helps Phase 7 develop a roster beyond legacy characters.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton and star Simu Liu confirmed the sequel remains in development. The Doomsday trailer suggests Shang-Chi will have a significant role in that film, setting up his next solo story.

Fantastic Four 2 (July 13, 2029)

Marvel’s First Family is likely to become an important franchise following The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which earned roughly $520 million worldwide. Depending on how the characters fare in Secret Wars, a direct sequel could balance a family story with cosmic threats.

It provides a follow-up to Black Panther and Shang-Chi. July 2029 remains far enough away that the slot could go to other Phase 7 projects.

Other Possibilities

Other possibilities exist for the unclaimed dates, including a Deadpool spinoff, an X-Force project, or Thor 5.

Stephen Strange is another option. After years of dealing with incursions and alternate realities, a third movie could tell a focused story and push supernatural horror elements further. Reports and rumors circulated since early 2025 that Doctor Strange 3 is in development with Benedict Cumberbatch expected to return, though prospects depend on Secret Wars.

With Ghost Rider arriving in 2028, Marvel could try a Midnight Sons team-up featuring Strange alongside Ghost Rider, Blade, Moon Knight, and other supernatural heroes. This introduces an ensemble franchise without escalating to another Avengers-level threat, though it might suit a September or October release better than summer dates.

With the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy complete and The Marvels struggling at the box office, the studio needs a hero for the cosmic side of its universe. Thor and Doctor Strange fill part of that role, but Nova offers an opportunity to rebuild cosmic mythology.

Kevin Feige confirmed that Nova is in development with Michael Waldron writing. Waldron stated that Richard Rider’s story will address Thanos’ off-screen destruction of Xandar and the Nova Corps before Avengers: Infinity War. That history gives Marvel a starting point for Richard Rider’s origin and could lay the groundwork for stories like Annihilation or War of Kings.

Together, these films give Phase 7 a mix of earthbound adventures, supernatural stories, mutant drama, and cosmic spectacle. Marvel’s confirmed 2028 lineup provides a clearer picture of what follows Secret Wars.

Phase 7 moves toward a simpler structure built around the strongest corners of the universe: the X-Men, supernatural heroes, Wakanda, and cosmic mythology. The next era of the MCU focuses on giving its biggest characters room to breathe.

 

Source: Polygon