The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Phase Three stuck its landing with Avengers: Endgame, which introduced time travel and the multiverse into the MCU. After that, things started getting crazy, most specifically when Loki season one introduced us to variants — multiverse versions of characters — and to Jonathan Majors’ Nathaniel Richards also known as Kang the Conqueror. Spider-Man No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hinted at some of the dangers that can come from multiverse travel and timeline corruption.
Now it’s time for Phase Five of the Marvel lineup.
Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania (Feb. 17, 2023)
“He can rewrite existence and shatter timelines. You cannot trust him.” Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang lost five years of his daughter Cassie’s life during the Blip — now it looks like he’s willing to make a deal with Kang to get that time back. Naturally, things will go very, very badly.
What If…? Season 2 (Early 2023)
What If…? is an animated series that features variants of belovéd Marvel heroes in alternate timelines. “What if Peggy Carter took the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers?” is the kind of thought experiment that launched season one, and Captain Carter will launch season two as well, taking on the HYDRA Stomper in the first of nine episodes.
What If…? can’t be discounted — a grief-stricken Doctor Strange from the series hinted at one of the Strange variants from Multiverse of Madness.
Secret Invasion (Spring 2023)
Secret Invasion is a newly announced series heading to Disney+ that stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos — characters who first met in Captain Marvel and now return to Earth to confront the shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)
In James Gunn’s third and final volume (not counting the December 2022 Holiday Special), the Guardians of the Galaxy are done running. Not much is known about the plot, but the team remains committed to one another and is prepared to “face the music.”
Loki Season 2 (Summer 2023)
There’s no official trailer or synopsis yet for the second season of Loki, but the Disney Plus 2023 trailer showed glimpses of our favorite mischief-makers, Loki and Sylvie, along with Owen Wilson’s loveable Mobius.
Echo (Summer 2023)
First introduced in the fun-loving Hawkeye series, Echo, played by Maya Lopez , is the adoptive daughter of the Kingpin, a longtime villain in the Daredevil series (which will return to the MCU in 2024).
The official Marvel synopsis reads: “Streaming exclusively on Disney, the origin story of Echo revisits Maya Lopez, whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her in her hometown. She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward.”
The Marvels (July 28, 2023)
The Marvels brings together Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) along with the adult Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) who gained some epic superpowers during WandaVision, and Captain Marvel’s biggest fan, Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) as Ms. Marvel, who carried her own darling show in 2022.
Ironheart (Fall 2023)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Dominique Thorne is getting her very own show based on Riri Williams, the engineering prodigy who builds her very own super-suit, the most advanced since Tony Stark’s Iron Man.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos (Winter 2023/2024)
No official synopsis yet on the return of Agatha Harkness, a fan-favorite villain portrayed by the phenomenal Kathryn Hahn. When we last saw Agatha, she’d lost her battle against Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch; it’ll be a fun ride to see what the chaotic and power-hungry witch does next.