Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have only just kicked off earlier this year with Iron Man 3, but if you thought Marvel Studios were thinking ahead when Disney announced a trio of as-yet-unrevealed titles for 2016 and 2017, then think again. According to Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige, the studio has not only mapped out Phase Three of the MCU, but it’s also got a pretty good idea of what’s in store for Phase Four!
“I could arguably say what we’re planning for the year 2021,” Feige tells WIRED. “Will that happen? I don’t know. But what we planned for 2015 in 2006 is happening.”
Including Iron Man 3, four of Marvel’s five Phase Two movies are sequels, with Guardians of the Galaxy the only new franchise amongst Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Feige is all too aware of the need to branch out from the core roster of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
“Five years ago, looking at our plan, we knew that if Avengers was going to work, the movies had to stand alone. Now we have to prove to the studio that we’re more than just these five characters, these five franchises.”
Marvel will launch Phase Three with another new property in November 2015 as Edgar Wright finally delivers his long-awaited Ant-Man adaptation, and with Iron Man 4 off the cards until after The Avengers 3 at least, it appears there’s a good chance we’ll see the likes of Black Panther and Doctor Strange as part of the studio’s third wave of movies. And if Marvel does have its plans laid out through to The Avengers 4, you’d have to expect them to be joined by one or two other newcomers when Phase Four gets underway in 2018.
Where would you like to see the Marvel Cinematic Universe going over the next few years? Let us know in the comments below….
Originally published August 7, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
