Two weeks ago Warner Bros. and DC fired a shot across Disney and Marvel’s bow, announcing a slate of 10 films that will premiere between 2016 and 2020. Today Marvel Studios hit back with 9 of their own. Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige took to the stage at Disney’s El Capitan Theatre to announce all of these:
First up is the already announced third Captain America film, now titled Captain America: Civil War, hitting American screens on May 6, 2016. Cap 3 will feature Chris Evans’ titular hero face off against Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man as tempers flare and loyalties are divided as Civil War descends upon the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Anthony and Joe Russo continue their affiliation with the First Avenger directing their second outing in the franchise.
Second out is the first screen outing of Stephen Vincent Strange, a.k.a. Doctor Strange on November 4, 2016. Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast as the good Doctor, playing the former neurosurgeon who serves as the Sorcerer Supreme — the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats. Sinister director Scott Derrickson is already comfy in the director’s chair, with shooting due to commence shortly.
Movie 3 is the sequel to this year’s surprise hit Guardians of the Galaxy 2, on May 5, 2017. The film will be a direct sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy, with writer/director James Gunn back on board, delving into the mystery of Star-Lord’s father, teased in the first film.
The fourth film is the third in the Thor saga, Thor: Ragnarok on July 28, 2017. Ragnarok is the end of days in Norse mythology, and lives up to its name in the comic-book world. The Civil War storyline saw a cyborg clone of the god of thunder adopt the name, and Kevin Feige has indicated that he will appear in this outing. “This is a very important movie for us in Phase 3,” said Marvel’s Kevin Feige. “We plan on taking Thor to another level. It picks up where we leave Thor in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ and impacts everything that comes after.”
Film five centres on a brand new character to the cinematic universe, Black Panther, with Get On Up‘s Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa in the film that’s out on November 3, 2017. This film is notable as the first of the MCU to feature a black leading character, with the character due to be introduced in Captain America: Civil War.
The sixth film is the biggest of the bunch so far as the Infinity Gauntlet storyline that has undercut the MCU so far comes to a head in Avengers: Infinity War – Part I on May 4, 2018. This story is so large that it had to be split in two, with Avengers: Infinity War – Part II coming one year later on May 3, 2019. The films will see Thanos gain the gauntlet and marks the completion of Phase 3 of the MCU.
In between the two Avengers films will come two more first outings as the MCU finally gets a female lead with Captain Marvel on July 6, 2018, and a team to match the X-Men in the shape of Inhumans on November 2, 2018. Captain Marvel, or Carol Danvers, possesses superhuman strength and durability, can fly at roughly six times the speed of sound, and is pretty much kick-ass all-around. The Inhumans on the other hand are a race of primitives, genetically advanced by the Kree (the bad guys in Guardians) to help in their fight against the Skrull. They possess an average lifespan is 150 years and strength, reaction time, speed, and endurance greater than the finest of human athletes. They will pose a formidable force for good or bad.
What all this means is that come the end of Phase 3 we will be looking at a very different comic-book movie landscape, and possibly at total comic-book fatigue. But you have to admit it is kind of exciting. Oh and here’s your first look at Black Panther!
