As the money-making misfortunes of The Marvels proves, what the MCU needs now is not just more films that serve as one link in the chain but full-on event movies.
With the two most successful entries in the Multiverse Saga so far being Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, clearly what audiences want is more movies that directly push the ongoing narrative further as we head ever nearer to this saga’s final showdown in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
So which of the franchise’s upcoming slate fit this bill? According to new intel shared by insider DanielRPK, the following four films will each pave the way for Secret Wars in some integral, yet-to-be-discovered way. Two of them are already on the slate while the other two are waiting in the wings but are definitely on their way.
Deadpool 3 (July 26, 2024)
Well, the significance of this one shouldn’t come as a surprise. As the lone Marvel movie releasing in 2024, Deadpool 3 is carrying Phase Five on its back at this point. Not only is it set to introduce Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine into the MCU universe for the first time, it’s also believed to directly weave into what’s to come in Secret Wars. Those TVA tie-ins will likely be key to its crossover potential, as the TVA is said to play a big role in Avengers 6.
Fantastic Four (May 2, 2025)
Likewise, Fantastic Four was never just going to introduce the MCU’s version of Marvel’s First Family and be done with it. The foursome were the foundation of the Marvel universe in the comics so it only makes sense that they will be a lodestone of the Multiverse Saga as well. It’s worth pointing out that Doctor Doom is all-important in the comics’ Secret Wars event, although word has it the film’s big bad will be Galactus instead. Some version of Molecule Man showing up seems plausible, though.
Shang-Chi 2
Shang-Chi 2 is one of many sequels yet to be officially announced by Marvel but we’re pretty sure is on the way. A late 2024/early 2025 production start has even been rumored. Director Destin Daniel Cretton may have just walked from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty — whose status, from title downward, is currently in flux — but hopefully he’ll stick around to steer the Simu Liu-starring sequel through a thrilling story that will apparently tie into Secret Wars. Just where do the Ten Rings come from?
Spider-Man 4
Apparently, Spider-Man 4 won’t be resetting the webslinger’s adventures back to basics and will only continue the multiversal scope of No Way Home. And why not, after 2021’s threequel ended up being the highest-grossing MCU movie since Avengers: Endgame? Everyone loves Tom Holland’s Spidey so making him a major driving force on the road to Secret Wars should hopefully prove to be a lucrative idea. At last word, Spider-Man 4 — bringing back Holland, Zendaya, and director Jon Watts — is heading in front of cameras in late 2024.