2026 is set to be a crucial year for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The superhero giant released three movies in 2025, and they all had underwhelming results at the box office. As such, both Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday need to perform beyond expectations. Furthermore, audiences need to be invested in the end of the Multiverse Saga to be committed to the following chapter. That's why Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has exclusively focused his attention on overseeing the production of both Doomsday and Secret Wars.
All eyes are currently set on the big projects just over the horizon, but even then, there's plenty more MCU coming our way afterwards. While not much is known about the upcoming Phase, it has been heavily speculated that it will focus on both supernatural characters and mutants. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier will be at the helm of an X-Men movie. Now, after a few months of silence, another project might have been revealed, and it is sure to make Marvel fans happy.
Marvel is planning a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps; Matt Shakman could direct
According to insider MyTimeToShineHello, Marvel wants to develop a follow-up to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, despite the first entry not being "a huge box office hit". The project would be released after the Multiverse Saga comes to an end, and the studio wants Matt Shakman to return to the director's chair. It's important to remember that Marvel's First Family is set to have an important role in Avengers: Doomsday, which could draw more audiences to watch a sequel.
Marvel is currently holding on to four movie release dates in 2028, and it is speculated that one of them could be for Fantastic Four 2, while the others are reserved for Black Panther 3 and X-Men. If that were to be the case, then Marvel's First Family would be among the few "new" heroes introduced in the Multiverse Saga that would go on to appear in multiple projects across a short span of time. Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Clea, and plenty of other characters didn't share the same luck.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps was all about the super team trying to defend their world from Galactus. While they initially succeeded in their mission, it's unclear whether they will even have a home to return to after the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. There's a chance that the iconic family will need to permanently move to the MCU and start anew in a parallel universe, as was the case for Miles Morales in comic book pages.
The Fantastic Four were used to being the only heroes protecting New York from unpredictable dangers, so it will be interesting to see how well they adapt to a world that's a little bit more dangerous and bigger than their own. Besides, there's a chance that they won't be the only ones living through such a situation. Rumor has it that Marvel is considering keeping Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom around even after Avengers: Secret Wars.
The four heroes and villain could be the only remnants of their own home universe, which would add a sense of familiarity and tragedy between them and make their relationship even more complex. Besides, a Fantastic Four sequel could also explore whether the team builds their own Baxter Building in the MCU, and we could finally see them face some of their classic villains like Mole Man or Red Ghost (the latter of which was supposed to have a role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps).
Perhaps Marvel will reveal more about its future plans at San Diego Comic-Con, when Avengers: Secret Wars is just around the corner. But for the time being, it's clear that Marvel's First Family has a huge role to play in the franchise's future, and we can't wait to see them in action once again.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released on December 18, 2026.