Predictions for Marvel Phase 5 and Beyond!

PHASE 5

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (5/6/22)

This would close out the proper Black Panther trilogy.  I’m sure they will find ways to keep it going if this ended at three.  This is a huge part of Marvel and they don’t have much to replace it with.  But for this set of predictions let’s just say they give it a few years.  Won’t know about the future of this franchise until we see it.

Spider-Man: Graduation (7/29/22)

Final installment of the Spidey high school trilogy.  Maybe this one has Sinister Six or one of the villains from the older movies.  Holland is young enough that this could continue into college.  The tough thing about replacing Peter with Miles (who exists in this world) so soon is that you are doing high school stories again.  We need some time with Peter as an adult before we get Miles in high school.  But like with Black Panther, I’m ending my franchise predictions at three for simplicity’s sake.

She-Hulk (2023)

Feige talked about how Thor: Ragnarok was the first of a four film arc for Bruce Banner.  Hard to know where he will go with the Infinity War developments or if it will last.  It is in the best interest of the Black Widow series if he isn’t a love interest in that.

Of course a solo Hulk movie would make a lot of money, but what could they do?  Universal still has distribution rights, which Disney could cut a deal with.  But they’ve already done Planet Hulk and returning to the mindless monster attacked by the military set-up doesn’t make sense for his Avengers development. After Infinity War, I don’t think there’s a lot for this version of the Hulk.  Plus Ruffalo is getting up there.

So use him to set up another series.  In the comics She-Hulk is an individual franchise, so I would doubt that Universal has the rights to her movies.  And Marvel is successful enough to make a movie off of a seemingly ridiculous character (they’ve been succeeding with that for some time actually).  She-Hulk is actually probably the most popular solo character they have the rights to that they haven’t used yet.  Plus Ruffalo Hulk is already the outsized-fun character so She-Hulk isn’t a huge stretch for audiences.

She-Hulk is Bruce Banner’s cousin, lawyer Jennifer Walters.  Just imagine Marvel doing their take of a John Grisham pot-boiler with a giant green defense attorney.

Ravagers of the Galaxy (2023)

Gunn set-up the original Guardians at the end of vol. 2 as Yondu’s old Ravager buddies.  Sylvester Stallone, Ving Rhames and Michelle Yeoh may be getting up there for a new franchise.  But there is something to the concept of Marvel’s Expendables.  Your Dad’s favorite old action heroes in space is a cool set up for an aging MCU audience.  Like New Avengers, Black Widow and She-Hulk, this is a good way to continue the existing franchises once actor contracts are used up.

Black Widow 2 (2023)

Black Widow gets her sequel

Captain Marvel 3 (2024)

Carol finishes her franchise.  Brie Larson is young enough that this series could continue, she still leads the Avengers

Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (2024)

Strange’s trilogy ends. Cumberbatch will be old enough that this series doesn’t need to continue, although the character easily could as a cameo or supporting character in other films

New Avengers 2 (2024)

More of an event than the first one, but still not a crossover.  Maybe She-Hulk joins, but just another standard Avengers movie.

PHASE 6

Black Widow 3 (2025)

Phase 6 ends with the final adventure of one of the founding heroes of the MCU.  Natasha is a relic of a simpler time, her role as Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D. icon has been replaced by newer heroes.  This is her fighting against a changing world on the way to a satisfying end for the character.

Thunderbolts (2025)

Follow up on the Thunderbolts that were established in the fourth Avengers.  Picking up more villains from Phase 4 and 5 movies (as the first three phases haven’t left us with many).  This is far enough away from Suicide Squad to stand on its own.  But Zemo convinces the world that villains are heroes, some villains might like staying that way even though the world will never accept them.  Good metaphor for rehabilitation.

She-Hulk 2 (2025)

Why the hell shouldn’t I get a She-Hulk trilogy?

Ravagers of the Galaxy vol. 2 (2026)

Another Ravager adventure

Secret Wars (2026)

Haven’t had the Avengers movies be the big crossover events, because there isn’t a big thing I see needing a lead-up like Infinity War.  Secret Wars is a recognizable enough event title and at this stage you can do a simple team up like this and the audience will understand.  This would be a standard heroes have to fight each other on a different world set up.  Focus on the heroes who have movies that have ended (Ant-Man, Strange, Spidey, Panther, original Guardians, etc).  End on a “To Be Continued.”

New Avengers 3 (2026)

Last stand of this iteration of the Avengers.  Retiring the Avengers for the next phase as others take the forefront.  None of the Avengers in this movie can be in Secret Wars.

Secret Wars 2 (2027)

The heroes fight their way off of Battleworld.  Most retire afterwards, find that.  Represents an end to the Phase 3 focus of Marvel.

PHASE 7

Fantastic Four (2027)

This is the point when Marvel will need the franchises Fox has the rights for. Although to be honest we will probably get more Black Panther, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and Guardians before that is even needed.

But yeah, Fantastic Four should be first.  They have never had a good movie and are Marvel’s premier franchise.  Great way to establish a new Marvel.

Thunderbolts 2 (2027)

Thunderbolts again try to fill the gap left by other Marvel heroes.  If the Avengers are done, can Earth accept the Thunderbolts?

Ravagers of the Galaxy vol. 3 (2028)

Stallone will be super old by this point, but that could also be a lot of fun.

Silver Surfer (2028)

After the end of the Ravagers, Surfer takes over the new space hero.  Origin with Galacatus.

She-Hulk 3 (2028)

Final installment of the She-Hulk trilogy!

Wolverine (2029)

Start with Logan as a solo character, don’t make being a mutant a huge focus.

X-Men (2029)

Marvel’s X-Men would be without Wolverine, and would usher in an entirely new element to focus for Marvle going forward.

So Phase 8?  More events, Deadpool, the end of Thunderbolts, continuation of Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Wolverine and X-Men.  We can even go into X-Men spin-off movies like Excalibur or X-Factor before even considering another Avengers or Spider-Man.  But that's just my hunch at this moment.  To be honest anything could happen.  And isn't that why we love Marvel?