Marvel Studios Officially Delays the MCU’s 3rd Saga

Marvel Studios has made some adjustments to its future movie plans, slightly delaying the start of its third saga of films. The release date for Black Panther 3 has been moved from February 18, 2028, to July 28, 2028. As a result, the next saga will now begin on May 5, 2028, with a currently unknown movie, pushing the start date back by almost three months. While Marvel’s planning is usually very smooth, this represents a minor change to the schedule.

The epic story of the Multiverse Saga will conclude with Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027. Originally, the next movie was planned to come out shortly after, but Marvel Studios has revised its schedule. Now, fans will need to wait a bit longer, as five release dates have been confirmed for 2028 and 2029. Here’s the current plan for the MCU’s third saga:

May 5, 2028
July 28, 2028
December 15, 2028
May 4, 2029
July 13, 2029

Confirmed Projects Happening in the MCU’s 3rd Saga

Black Panther 3

Currently, Black Panther 3 is the most firmly planned project for Phase 7 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ryan Coogler will return to write and direct, making him one of the few MCU directors to helm a trilogy of films. Academy Award winner Denzel Washington is also confirmed to appear in an as-yet-unspecified role, having revealed the news himself while promoting Gladiator II in late 2024.

Both Letitia Wright as Shuri and Winston Duke as M’Baku are likely to be back in future Marvel films, including a significant role in Avengers: Doomsday. This movie is expected to be one of the first projects kicking off Phase 7 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, currently scheduled for release on July 28, 2028. While the story is still a secret, this film will likely set the direction for future installments.

X-Men

The first official X-Men movie from Marvel Studios is highly anticipated within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jake Schreier, who is directing the upcoming Thunderbolts film, will direct, and Michael Lesslie, known for his work on The Hunger Games, is writing the screenplay. While plot details are being kept secret, Cyclops and Jean Grey are likely to lead the team, with characters like Gambit, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Beast, and Angel potentially joining them. Rumors suggest Mr. Sinister could be the main villain.

Many believe this movie will be a key film in the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Doomsday will officially bring several mutants from the X-Men films—including Magneto (Ian McKellen), Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Cyclops (James Marsden), Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), and Gambit (Channing Tatum)—into the main MCU storyline.

The upcoming movies Doomsday and Secret Wars will lead into a new phase focused on the X-Men, known as the Mutant Saga. Because of this, a 2028 release for the X-Men’s first appearance in the MCU seems likely, with December 15th currently being the most probable date.

Shang-Chi 2

A follow-up to the movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is still happening. Simu Liu has confirmed the project is still being developed, and director Destin Daniel Cretton is now available to work on it after finishing his work on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Having also completed Wonder Man, his schedule is more open. Liu will soon be seen in Avengers: Doomsday, which could help get the Shang-Chi sequel moving forward.

While we don’t know the specifics of the story yet, several mysteries from the first film – like the meaning of the Ten Rings signal, the growth of Xialing’s organization, and what initially sent the signal into space – haven’t been resolved. These lingering questions provide a lot of potential for the next movie to explore.

Armor Wars

The upcoming MCU project, Armor Wars, has faced several changes. First announced as a Disney+ series in 2020, it was later reimagined as a feature film in 2022. Don Cheadle will still star as James Rhodes, and Yassir Lester remains the writer. The film’s story is based on a well-known Iron Man comic book storyline by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, focusing on War Machine dealing with Stark technology being misused by dangerous individuals.

Although no director has been named and the project hasn’t received much public attention since its plans changed, it’s still officially in the works. Considering the difficulties it’s faced, it’s unclear when it will be released, but it’s currently expected to be part of Phase 7.

Blade

The upcoming Marvel movie Blade has faced a lot of behind-the-scenes challenges. First announced in 2019 with Mahershala Ali set to star, the film has gone through several changes – including multiple writers and directors, and shifting release dates. Disney recently removed it from their 2025 schedule altogether.

Kevin Feige stated in July 2025 that Mahershala Ali is still involved in the project, which is currently being developed. Originally planned as a period piece, the story now takes place in the present day. Ali has expressed his enthusiasm for the role. While there have been questions about its future, the project hasn’t been cancelled and could potentially be part of the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rumored MCU Projects That Could Feature in Saga 3

Doctor Strange 3

Benedict Cumberbatch has strongly hinted he’ll reprise his role as Doctor Strange in a third film, likely as part of Marvel’s Phase 7 plans. The previous movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, ended with Strange and Clea entering a portal to face the Dark Dimension, leaving that storyline unfinished and setting up a potential continuation.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange, isn’t currently listed among the actors confirmed for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie, leaving fans wondering when and how his character will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, a recent picture posted by Robert Downey Jr. has led many to believe Strange will indeed be involved in the film.

Thor 5

During a recent appearance on the Smartless podcast, Chris Hemsworth revealed that he and Marvel Studios are planning more adventures for Thor after Avengers: Doomsday. While details are still emerging, a fifth Thor movie is the most likely next step, potentially arriving as part of Phase 7 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, around 2028 or 2029. This new film could address storylines left open in Thor: Love and Thunder, such as the introduction of Hercules (played by Brett Goldstein), the fate of Jane Foster, and the presence of Heimdall in Valhalla.

Fantastic Four 2

While The Fantastic Four: First Steps performed well in theaters, a sequel seems likely. The original cast – Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach – is expected to return if the project moves forward, and director Matt Shakman is also a strong possibility. Now that the team is officially established in the main Marvel universe (Earth-616), it will be exciting to see where the story goes next.

Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool/X-Men Team-Up

After the huge success of Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds is said to be working on another movie that brings Deadpool together with the X-Men. This new film is different from the upcoming, standalone X-Men reboot directed by Jake Schreier. There’s also talk that it might be an X-Force movie – a team-up that was planned at Fox before Disney bought the company and put the project on hold.

Midnight Sons

Marvel’s supernatural corner has been slowly taking shape, and Midnight Sons is the project expected to bring it all together. Rumored characters include Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, Werewolf by Night, Elsa Bloodstone, and Man-Thing, with reports suggesting Ghost Rider could lead the team. Marvel confirmed Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight will return in future MCU projects, strengthening the case for his involvement here.

Young Avengers

Since the start of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios has been subtly setting up a future Young Avengers project. They’ve done this by introducing key characters like Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel.

The seeds for a team-up were first planted in The Marvels, when Kamala Khan connected with Kate Bishop. However, reports suggest a Young Avengers series won’t be developed until after Avengers: Secret Wars, meaning it will likely be part of the next major phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

2026-04-11 07:37