Audiences worldwide might be gearing up to watch the end of the current chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the superhero giant is two steps ahead already. While we're busy theorizing about what universe Doctor Doom is from and whether or not Battleworld will be created, Marvel Studios has already planned what the upcoming years will look like. Unfortunately, it's unlikely they will reveal their complete master plan before the release of Avengers: Secret Wars. On the bright side, we aren't completely in the dark either.
With the announcement that Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier
will helm an X-Men movie, fans are expecting the Mutants to completely take over the MCU soon. With that being said, they won't be the only ones, as it has been reported that "supernatural" characters such as Moon Knight, Blade, and Werewolf will also have the spotlight to their own (and potentially assemble in a Midnight Sons movie). And if that wasn't enough, now we have the "confirmation" that a major Marvel sequel is already in the works, despite the first entry not being released yet.
Marvel is reportedly developing a Fantastic Four: First Steps sequel
It's been a long time coming, but Marvel's First Family will finally join the interconnected universe of superheroes. In just a few weeks, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm will attempt to save their alternate universe from complete destruction at the hands of Galactus... but the general consensous is that they will fail for the first time in their careers, and be forced to escape to a new home in the form of the MCU (as hinted by the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*).
Given that Fantastic Four: First Steps will take place in a different, retro-futuristic reality altogether, fans wondered if the iconic group of heroes could eventually get a follow-up movie in Earth-199999, where many other heroes such as Spider-Man exist. Fortunately, it seems that will be the case. A report by Variety states that Marvel is developing multiple projects, including Black Panther 3, the long-awaited Blade movie, and a sequel to Fantastic Four: First Steps. Furthermore, it also gave us an idea of when we could expect to see these releases.
Marvel currently has four movies slated for 2028. Granted, it doesn't mean we're actually getting four MCU premieres that year. After all, it's a common practice for Disney to hold on to potential dates and then delegate them to another project (or simply deviate from the initial plan altogether). However, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume we might be getting three films, at the least, since it seems to be the current trend.
2025 has already seen the release of Captain America: Brave New World
and Thunderbolts*, with Fantastic Four: First Steps just around the corner. 2026 is the exception, as it will only house Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday (for the time being). But in 2027, we'll see the release of Avengers: Secret Wars along with two untitled Marvel projects. With that in mind, we could assume the upcoming X-Men movie will be coming in 2028, along with the sequel to Fantastic Four: First Steps, and potentially Black Panther 3.
It's nice to know that Marvel plans for everyone's favorite super family to appear in Avengers: Doomsday next year, and potentially have a sequel just two years after. While we used to see big heroes make multiple recurring appearances in the early days of the MCU, that has since changed.
Big characters such as Moon Knight and She-Hulk were introduced on the small screen only to never be seen again years later. So, breaking this trend might prove to be the right decision, and it makes special sense with a group of heroes as popular as the Fantastic Four. With a bit of luck, their upcoming movie will leave us all wanting more, as it seems that's exactly what we'll get.
Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on Jul. 25, 2025.