Marvel at an End? This Is the Future of the MCU!
Will Marvel regain its former strength?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe: For many, it was long regarded as the gold standard of superhero cinema. Movies like "Iron Man", "Guardians of the Galaxy", and the "Avengers" adventures shaped the genre and achieved huge success. Marvel created a cinematic universe that generated billions in revenue and influenced generations of viewers.
But today, little remains of the glory of the old days: the new movies are too expensive, don't make enough money, and their quality is increasingly failing to impress. Not to mention all the debates around the topic of being "woke."
Rightfully, many are asking: Will Marvel ever return to its former glory – or is the end truly near? In this article, we explore where the problems lie and, more importantly, how they are expected to be solved. What changes are coming, and which movies and series can we look forward to? Here's a look at the future of the MCU!
Causes of the Current Marvel Crisis
The Marvel crisis is not just the result of a few bad films – the causes run much deeper. Rather, a multitude of problems have built up over many years, significantly diminishing Marvel's charm.
Far Too Many Movies & Series
One of the most obvious reasons lies in the sheer volume of productions. For many years, the MCU impressed with carefully planned films that worked well on their own while also gradually building a larger universe. But after "Endgame", there was suddenly a veritable flood of new series and movies in a very short time. The reason: a leadership change at Disney. On top of that came the directive to fill the company's own streaming service, Disney+, with content.
The result: Between 2021 and 2022 alone, a total of nine new Marvel series were released – complemented by seven additional feature films. Many viewers felt overwhelmed, while others simply lost interest. In addition, Marvel heavily leaned into the concept of the multiverse. While this theoretically offers unlimited possibilities, in practice it often led to confusion: time travel, alternate realities, and parallel versions of familiar characters made it hard to keep track of everything. Instead of a coherent narrative like in the "Infinity Saga", what emerged was a veritable patchwork.
Added to this is a noticeable decline in quality. Many productions suffered from weak scripts or cheap-looking special effects. The visual style in particular – once a prominent feature of the MCU – was frequently criticized. Last-minute reworked effects, poor working conditions for VFX studios, and generic CGI contributed to the Marvel films losing much of their former appeal. In many cases, this was likely not due to an incompetent team, but rather the immense time pressure under which the movies and series had to be produced.
Does the MCU Need New Heroes?
Unfortunately, this phase of rushed productions coincided with a noticeable shift toward greater diversity. As a result, some viewers accused Marvel of prioritizing superficial symbolic gestures over the quality of the stories. However, successes like "Black Panther" and Sony's "Spider-Verse" films demonstrate that good movies resonate with audiences – regardless of the lead actor's skin color.
Another issue: Key characters like Iron Man, Steve Rogers' Captain America, and Black Widow have all departed from the MCU. While there have been efforts to introduce new heroes – such as Shang-Chi, the Eternals, and Ms. Marvel – none of them have reached a comparable level of popularity so far. Audiences clearly long for familiar heroes. It's a challenge Marvel is determined to address – but more on that in a moment.
Marvel Movies Are Hardly an Event Anymore
One of the biggest differences compared to the early years of the MCU is the loss of the event feeling. Back then, every new movie was a highlight that fans eagerly anticipated. Today, however, a Marvel production feels almost routine: Although there is still some interest, people tend to wait for the home release. Going to the movie theater? Not really necessary.
And: the competition never sleeps. With James Gunn's reboot of the DC universe, there is a serious rival at the box office for the first time in years. "Superman" has already outperformed "Thunderbolts" and "Captain America 4", grossing nearly 600 million dollars worldwide. At the same time, there are now many more options available, especially in streaming. Marvel is no longer the automatic first choice.
Kevin Feige and the MCU's New Direction
Kevin Feige has been in charge of the franchise for over 15 years and remains determined despite the current crisis. In a press conference, he revealed that the studio is currently working on a comprehensive seven-year plan aimed at redefining the MCU through 2032. At its core are fewer but higher-quality productions, the return of familiar heroes, and a kind of reset of the current MCU.
The Fantastic Four as the New Foundation
With the integration of the Fantastic Four, Marvel already has an important tool at its disposal to get back on track. For a long time, the superhero family was considered the heart of the Marvel universe – but was unavailable to the MCU because the rights were held by Fox. However, those rights have since been acquired by Disney, paving the way for many new possibilities.
Kevin Feige has emphasized that the Fantastic Four are set to play a central role in laying the new foundation of the MCU. With "First Steps", they have already attempted a somewhat new beginning – initially detached from the Avengers and designed to be accessible without any prior knowledge. The box office takings of around 500 million dollars are a solid result, even if still far from a true mega-hit.
Doctor Doom as the New Thanos
A decisive step for Marvel's near future is the realignment around the main antagonist: Doctor Doom. Here too, Disney's acquisition of Fox has proven to be a stroke of luck: Anyone already familiar with Doctor Doom knows the immense potential the character holds. Casting Robert Downey Jr. in the role was also a brilliant marketing move: For many viewers, the actor is inseparably linked with Iron Man and has essentially been the face of the MCU from its inception. His return not only fuels speculation about the story of the new Avengers films but also creates a much-needed connection between the old MCU and what lies ahead.
The reward: finally, an MCU project is genuinely hyped again. The same applies to the upcoming "Spider-Man" film. The question is: will this remain an exception? In recent years, there have been occasional outliers such as "No Way Home" and "Deadpool & Wolverine", but these were the exception rather than the rule.
A New Beginning with the X-Men
According to Feige, the future of the MCU rests with another group that Disney secured through its acquisition of Fox: the legendary X-Men. While the familiar cast members will still be around for the next Avengers movies, we will see a bunch of fresh faces after that. They are set to be the focus of Phase 7 – the so-called Mutant Saga. This begins in 2028, with Marvel having reserved four theatrical release dates in February, May, November, and December. At least one of these will certainly be for the new "X-Men" movie.
But what other movies can we expect? So far, only the two Avengers movies and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day", set for July 31, 2026, have been officially announced. Besides the 2028 release dates, there is also an unknown release scheduled for July 23, 2027. Apart from the X-Men, we therefore have a total of four additional dates for unspecified movies. Conveniently, there are exactly four concrete movie projects currently in the works.
These Are the New Marvel Films
One of the projects in the pipeline is the long-running troublemaker "Blade", starring Mahershala Ali. The project has been stuck in production hell for years, repeatedly making progress only to fall back again. That said, many fans find it difficult to imagine anyone other than Wesley Snipes in the iconic role.
Then there is the planned sequel to "Shang-Chi": Director Destin Daniel Cretton is currently busy with "Spider-Man 4", which has likely delayed production further – assuming he actually returns for the second installment.
Ryan Coogler, meanwhile, is working on "Black Panther 3". This time, the story will center on T'Challa's son, after Shuri's performance in Part 2 was not quite as convincing. It has already been revealed that Hollywood star Denzel Washington will have a role as well.
Last but not least: "Armor Wars". Originally planned as a series, the movie is supposed to revolve around Don Cheadle's War Machine and pick up on the events of "Secret Invasion". However, things have been quiet around the project for quite some time. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that we may instead see sequels to "Spider-Man" or "The Fantastic Four" on the 2028 release dates.
By the way, we might be in for one or two surprises in the movies: Kevin Feige revealed that after "Avengers: Secret Wars", a kind of reset will happen – a soft reboot that will reset individual timelines and presumably serve as the starting point for the new MCU.
News About Deadpool and the Punisher
Harsher tones are not off the table either. After all, "Deadpool & Wolverine" became the most successful R-rated film of all time, grossing 1.33 billion US dollars. According to Feige, this opens the door for further productions with higher age ratings. At the very least, it is known that Ryan Reynolds is already writing more Deadpool adventures. However, which direction the next movie will take is still up in the air. Until then, we are looking forward to the "Punisher" special, which is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2026. Lead actor Jon Bernthal has already promised that things will get intense – just as you would expect from the character. He last appeared in the acclaimed MCU series "Daredevil: Born Again".
Speaking of series, the next projects coming our way in 2025 are the rather humorous "Wonder Man" as well as the animated series "Marvel Zombies". Next year will see the second seasons of "Daredevil: Born Again" and "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man", along with a series centered around Vision.
Marvel's Tightrope Act Between Past and Future
One thing is certain: The competition pressure is growing, and audiences are more critical than ever. Marvel can no longer afford to produce weak films or bloated series. The future of the MCU will require a balancing act between respecting its own past and bravely breaking new ground. If successful, the MCU could indeed continue to play a major role in blockbuster cinema for many years to come. However, the upcoming Avengers movies will need to live up to the hype, and the new X-Men must also deliver.