It’s been a while since the ‘Ultimate Snap.’ But the event’s aftermath is still felt.

Surely, Thanos was inevitable. But who will take up the mantle of The Next Great Threat To The MCU? To answer that question 

Marvel is a crucial part of the culture of cinema. Kicking off with the iconic comic book characters, they have evolved to become one of the leading cinema franchises. We all loved it when Tony Stark wore the suit to become Iron Man and cried when he sacrificed himself to save the universe. From Banner’s (Hulk)- “I am always angry” to Thor’s- “I am still worthy”, surely Marvel and the characters have come a long way. The narrative of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Marvel Studios has become both turbulent and explosive post the release of Avenger’s Endgame (2019). With the recent films being disappointing, fans are eagerly waiting for the upcoming Marvel movies announced at the SDCC 2024. 

Much to the audience’s surprise, Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU to perform the same task, but with a new mask! He will be playing the iconic villain Victor Von Doom, becoming the next big bad villain of the MCU. Marvel had spent years building the character Kang to be the next villain, but Major’s conviction led them to drop the idea. Several movies and TV shows are slated for release next year, some with teaser trailers already released. Some have been planned for the 2026 and 2027 releases. 

If you are a fan gearing up, find the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows slated for the 2025 release.

Marvel Phase 5

MCU movies in recent times have received mixed reviews, and fans have been unhappy. With a fear of the future of Marvel, fans have been eagerly waiting for the new characters’ escapades. 

After Disney acquired Fox, the X-Men universe merged into the MCU. The recent sensations, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Loki revived The Sacred Timeline, filling a lot of excitement for fans for the future endeavors of iconic characters. Let us look into the upcoming phase 5 Marvel movies 

1. Captain America: Brave New World

Release date: Feb 14, 2025

What’s Coming Up: Steve Rogers, a.k.a Captain America, retired in the Endgame, passing his mantle to his wingman Sam Wilson. He was reluctant and eventually took the responsibility, but he grew a lot through the events of the Disney+ series The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Brave New World will see Sam in the middle of an international incident after Thaddeus Ross becomes the president of the United States. Harrison Ford replaced the late actor William Hurt, who originated the role of Ross in 2008. The new trailer of Brave New World has spiked excitement among the fans and saw the introduction of Red Hulk, Ross’s alter ego, in the MCU. This movie will see the return of Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader from The Incredible Hulk. With action-packed sequences and the new character arc of Captain America, Brave New World is among the most awaited upcoming Marvel movies in 2025. Don’t miss it in theatres!

Cast: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, and Liv Tyler

Pre-Watch List: Captain America Trilogy and Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

2. Thunderbolts 

Release Date: May 5, 2025

What’s Coming Up: Imagine a world where the bad guys team up to be the good guys. Interesting right? While DC has long explored villain-centric narratives in films like Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn, and Joker, Marvel is now following suit with Thunderbolts. Being among the most awaited upcoming Marvel movies, Thunderbolts will see the anti-heroes from the Avengers’ plot team up to lead a mission for the American government. In the comics, Baron Zemo assembles the Thunderbolts as a villainous team disguised as heroes to replace the Avengers. But once his sinister plan was discovered, the Thunderbolts evolved into a morally ambiguous anti-hero group. After Marvel had announced the title, it predicted an Avenger-level setup and will finally reveal the sinister plan for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, whose character was teased in Black Widow,  Hawkeye, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Lewis Pullman

Pre-Watch List: Black Widow, Hawkeye, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man & The Wasp

Marvel Phase 6

3. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Release Date: July 25, 2025

What’s Coming Up: The list of upcoming Marvel movies wouldn’t be complete without The Fantastic Four. This superhero franchise was first introduced in 2005 and has never claimed the tag of a “ successful superhero film” since then. We all are victims of multiple worst Fantastic Four films, but after Disney acquired FOX, all eyes were on the announcement for a film included in the MCU. Finally, Marvel confirmed it at the SDCC 2019. The character of Reed Richards was teased when John Krasinski was fan-cast in Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness. There is little information available regarding the film’s plot, but all we know is that the narrative is set in the retro-futuristic 1960s. Pedro Pascal is set to play the Cursed Reed, with Venessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach joining the rest of the team. Additionally, the film introduces the much-awaited characters- -Silver Surfer and Galactus. Given the question of its inclusivity in The Sacred Timeline or an Alternate universe, the fans can surely prepare for a nostalgic sci-fi. 

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Ralph Ineson, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne

Pre-Watch List: WandaVision 

4. Spider-Man 4 

Release Date: July 26, 2026 

What’s Coming Up: It’s been almost three years since the world forgot Peter Parker, leaving him to take the weight of Spider-Man without the Stark tech. No Way Home, which saw the three spider-men fight villains of their pasts, left a nostalgic scar on fans. It saw Tom’s Spider-Man meddle with the multiverse, leaving him to live in a world everyone who has ever cared about has fully forgotten him. Now, he intends to keep it that way to protect his loved ones from the life of Spider-Man. Exactly what the future holds for the character is unclear, but fans are waiting to watch their friendly neighborhood hero on the big screens. Spider-Man is among the highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies and will give a more comic-book-accurate storyline.

Will we see the arrival of Venom? A face-off with the Kingpin? Will the Scorpion and Black Cat finally get introduced in the MCU as Spidey’s rivals? Only time will tell.

Cast: Tom Holland

Pre-Watch List: Captain America: Civil War, Holland’s Spider-Man Trilogy

5. Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars 

Release Date: 

• Avengers: Doomsday- May 1, 2026 
• Avengers: Secret Wars- May 7, 2027

What’s Coming Up: When you see “Avengers” in the title, you know it’s going to be a big deal. Both films are going to be a cornerstone of the Multiverse Saga. Expectations are super high for Doomsday, especially after Robert Downey’s return to the MCU. Marvel Studios spent years after setting up the character Kang, but with the recent conviction of Majors, they had to change their ideas. Both are the most hyped upcoming Marvel movies, and fans can’t wait to see Downey as the iconic villain Victor Von Doom. As the Russo brothers are helming these projects, which might conclude The Multiverse Saga, we can surely expect an insane cinematic experience.

Cast: Robert Dowey Jr. 

Pre-Watch List: The Infinity Saga and The Multiverse Saga

Unscheduled Upcoming Marvel Movies and TV shows

Movies:

• Blade
• X-Men
• Shang-Chi 2
• Armor Wars

TV Shows: 

• Daredevil 
• Ironheart 
• Eyes of Wakanda 
• Wonderman

Conclusion

Get ready for a new Marvel Cinematic Universe! With an exciting range of upcoming Marvel movies lined up, it’s going to be worthwhile for fans. From the return of iconic heroes like Captain America and Spider-Man to the introduction of Red Hulk and Victor Von Doom, the future of the MCU looks exciting and promising.