The Marvel Cinematic Universe only has three movies currently slated on its calendar. Spider-Man will swing into theaters on July 31, 2026, with the fourth MCU franchise film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Then a colossal cast will assemble for Avengers: Doomsday in December 2026, eventually followed by the culminating Avengers: Secret Wars in December 2027.
Yet Marvel Studios has a tentatively scheduled placeholder for the summer of 2027, and the date was even pinpointed to be July 23, 2027. It would make sense, from multiple standpoints, to set up a carefully placed story in between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, especially to keep the excitement going while fans eagerly wait a year between the crossover extravaganzas.
There has been hints of several potential sequels starting to develop at Marvel. Thor 5, Doctor Strange 3, and Shang-Chi 2 have all been mentioned, while the first MCU X-Men movie even has Thunderbolts* filmmaker, Jake Schreier, attached to direct. But Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther series definitely has the jump on any other “early stages” theatrical MCU project. He previously confirmed that Denzel Washington will be a part of the trilogy closer and now has gone on record to announce that he is actively working to complete pre-production.
Ryan Coogler’s directorial track record is supremely impressive, from his moving low-budget nonfiction debut, Fruitvale Station, to revamping the Rocky franchise with Creed. And Michael B. Jordan has appeared in the filmmaker’s entire filmography so far. Just this year they reteamed for Sinners, where Coogler crafted one of the most atmospherically lyrical vampire films. Yet he is ready to switch his focus back to Black Panther. In an interview with Deadline, Coogler clarifies “we’re working on it hard… yeah, it’s the next movie.”
His tone suggests that Black Panther 3 should soon be on everyone’s radar. Even the stars of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Letitia Wright (Shuri), Winston Duke (M'Baku), and Tenoch Huerta (Namor) are all listed as cast members for Avengers: Doomsday. MCU enthusiasts could only imagine what a follow-up solo Black Panther narrative would look like, at least until the fifth Avengers’ release.
Either way, this would certainly seem like a smart financial move for Marvel Studios. Black Panther is one of their most successful sub-franchises at the box office, so to have the next four movies be two Avenger epics, a Spidey flick, and the possible end to the Black Panther trilogy, would be the MCU’s most lucrative lineup this decade.
And even if Black Panther 3 goes up against the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, in the summer of 2027, July 2025’s box office results illustrated how two superhero releases in the same month does not necessarily encroach on each other’s market share. Instead, it could build general excitement for fans of the genre to rush to theaters on multiple occasions.
But for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which recently launched two of their highest quality cinematic properties, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, anticipation could start to build to a similar level as when Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame dominated the popular culture with Brand New Day, Doomsday, and Secret Wars on the horizon. Black Panther 3 would certainly seem like a perfect addition to the upcoming MCU schedule.