As you may or may not know, Marvel has planned all of its
movies out in phases. Phase 1 consisted of Iron
Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2,
Thor, Captain America, and ended with The
Avengers in 2012. Phase 2 is currently underway, with Iron Man 3 and Thor 2
taking place in 2013, Captain America
and Guardians of the Galaxy coming in
2014, and ending with The Avengers 2
in May 2015. While it may seem awfully soon to worry about what will take place
in Phase 3, one movie has a release date set, 3 more are confirmed (Thor 3, Captain America 3, and The
Avengers 3), 3 more release dates are penciled in, and another movie is all
but confirmed (Dr. Strange).
Before we get to which movies will be in Phase 3, let’s
consider the fact that Marvel President Kevin Feige has stated how they will
release two films per year from here on out, with the ideal combination of one
sequel and one new entity/franchise each year. Going off of the confirmed and
rumored-confirmed list, there are 3 sequels and a new entity slated for the
phase. That means there should at least be 2 more franchises to debut in this
time frame. It also means that The Avengers 3 will debut no earlier than
May 2018, but May 2019 is also a possibility (and one that I am hoping for).
Now, on to the line-up. While Iron Man 4 is off the table, Guardians
2 and Hulk 2 are considered fair
game to land sequels in Phase 3 (Guardians
2 is the favorite, though). For potential debut franchises, Black Panther,
Miss Marvel/Captain Marvel, and the Inhumans
are really the only three in consideration to join Dr. Strange in being
completely new to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). There is also potential
for spin-offs such as the Iron Patriot and Black Widow to debut on their own,
which would be interesting their own right. Some have been clamoring for some
of the reacquired and lesser-known franchises, such as Blade, Daredevil, Iron
Fist, Cable, and Luke Cage, to start up and/or team up as The Defenders, but they will have their own Netflix show and will
almost certainly have to wait until at least Phase 4.
Here is a rundown of how I’d like to see everything play
out:
July/August 2015 –
Ant-Man has
already been confirmed for July 17th (I would’ve chosen July 31st,
but oh well). While it may have been a potentially great idea for a Miss Marvel
or Black Widow film to take this spot (beating the release of Batman/Superman,
which will involve Wonder Woman), Ant-Man is the only film in the phase that is
past the writing stage. While we will get both incarnations of Ant-Man, I’d
also like to see The Wasp make her debut. Doubtful, though.
April/May 2016 –
This is a very tricky spot. Marvel has penciled-in the date
of May 6 for whichever movie goes here, which I would assume to be a sequel of
some sort. However, Warner Bros. has recently pushed the Batman/Superman film
back from 2015 to this date. The only Marvel franchises that could flourish by
going head-to-head with the two most well-known superheroes in the world are The Avengers and Iron Man. Neither are on the table, as The Avengers 2 will close the phase and Robert Downey Jr. is only
signed on for The Avengers 2 & 3.
Expect Marvel to move the release date up a month earlier to April and put its
#3 franchise out there: Thor. Thor 3
would be the best call here, as the God of Thunder will be 2.5 and 1 year(s)
removed from Thor 2 and The Avengers, respectively. His story
will undoubtedly include the most loved villain in the MCU (Loki) and the film wouldn’t
take too long to put together. Thor 3
is simply the safest bet here.
Other Options: Dr. Strange, Captain America 3
July/August 2016 –
We’ve already had our sequel for the year, so it is time for
a new entity. Though he may not be seriously considered for a spot yet, and the
fact that the currently penciled-in date is July 8th, I drool over
the thought of the Iron Patriot making his debut on July 1st. There
is no other more-patriotic time of the year than Independence Day season, and
with a full 2 months of summer on the horizon, the film would have plenty of
time to garner a huge profit. As much as I love Rhodey, I don’t think he could
fair very well alone. That is why I would partner him up with the Hulk.
Everyone has been clamoring for a Hulk sequel since Mark Ruffalo’s wonderful
portrayal in The Avengers, but it just isn’t likely for this phase. So it just
makes a lot of sense to knock out two birds with one stone, as a story wouldn’t
be too tough to work. Since it will have been over 3 years since the Iron
Patriot officially debuted, the film will really be right on schedule and keep
a presence of Stark Industries alive. If not Hulk (ie-if he gets his own
sequel), then Black Widow, Black Panther, and/or one of the lesser-known
Avengers in the MCU (Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver) would be good
options to be the co-hero. If they could keep it cheap (ie- under $100M), then
a team-up wouldn’t be necessary, but why not try to get more of these important
characters involved sooner if you can make more money? Also, keep in mind that
while Thor 3 will have a heavy
presence in space, Iron Patriot will
almost fully take place on Earth, which provides a nice balance for the year.
Other Options: Captain America 3, Dr. Strange
April/May 2017 –
Sequel time! This year, Marvel will be able to reclaim the
best release date of the year (May 5th), so a big franchise should
be on tap. If Guardians of the Galaxy
goes as well as planned, then Guardians 2
would be the absolute best option here. The last film involving a real team
will have been The Avengers 2 in
2015. A full two years later for another film involving a team just makes
logical sense, especially if this is an eight-film phase (allowing two more
years before The Avengers 3).
Other Options: Hulk 2, Thor 3
July/August 2017 –
For the new franchise, let’s stay on Earth with…Miss Marvel!
The bad news: Wonder Woman will have already made her debut. The good news:
this date is a full year after said debut, which will give Miss Marvel the
spotlight. A female superhero is past-due on the big screen and Marvel has a
few options here. If they go with Captain Marvel, then Carol Danvers will be
the choice (sorry, but the original, Mar-Vel, was a male). If they go with Miss
Marvel, then Danvers’ could resume her previous identity in the MCU, but there
is also the choice of the brand new Kamala Khan character, who is less powerful
and a Muslim (bringing an extra layer of appeal). Ideally, both could be in the
film similar to how Ant-Man will work, but if not, just getting one of them on
the silver screen is a huge accomplishment.
Other Options: Black Widow, Black Panther, Iron Patriot,
Inhumans
April/May 2018 –
As highly unlikely it is that Marvel will wait this long to
release Dr. Strange, this looks like the best date. I say that because of the
Iron Patriot and Captain America should both be in July, while a female-led
title should be a priority over Dr. Strange. That automatically sends Dr.
Strange back to this date, but that is okay. A release date of April 6th
would keep up the back-and-forth trend between April and May, while likely
having little comic competition.
Other Options: Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Thor 3, Hulk 2
July/August 2018 –
Up next is another movie I can’t see Marvel waiting this
long for, but it would be a great idea, depending on how well Cap 2 does. Captain America 3 being released on July 4th would be an
excellent fit, and it taking place in 2018 would set the MCU up nicely. Cap is
currently the #4 franchise, only ahead of Hulk, so unless the upcoming sequel
puts up major numbers (ie- outdoing Thor 2’s
numbers, in which case it would go in 2016), it might be time to give him a
rest on the solo front for an extra year or two, allowing more characters to
have their shot. Regardless, we will get a third movie in Phase 3, and this
date is one of the better fits. In addition to Cap, I’d love to see the Black
Panther make his debut in this film, similar to the Black Widow in Iron Man 2.
Other Options: Iron Patriot, Black Panther, Black Widow,
Inhumans
April/May 2019-
Finally, we get to The
Avengers 3. I think this would be the best spot for this movie because it
would allow the Thanos storyline to really play out. Since he is the greatest
villain of the Avengers, I think the delay in this story’s conclusion would be
best for the series. Also, the sequels are going to happen eventually, but they
really need to start expanding out. Similar to Iron Man, you can’t bank on
these 6 individual franchises forever, as the actors will eventually grow tired
or people will get bored with them. Got to keep everyone wanting more. Also, what
is great about the MCU is its diversity. I really feel that there is a genre
for everyone: Spy/War (Cap), Sci-Fi (Guardians), Superheroes, Action/Adventure,
etc., the MCU has it all. Because the studio can mix it up, the overall health
of the series will stay strong and prosper for years to come. Delaying The Avengers 3 until 2019 will only help
the overall series.
Preferred Outcome:
July 31, 2015 – Ant-Man
April 1, 2016 – Thor 3
July 1, 2016 – Iron Patriot
May 5, 2017 – Guardians of the Galaxy 2
August 4, 2017 – Miss Marvel
April 6, 2018 – Dr. Strange
July 4, 2018 – Captain America 3
May 3, 2019 – The Avengers 3
Likely Outcome:
July 17, 2015 – Ant-Man
April 1, 2016 – Thor 3
July 8, 2016 –
Dr. Strange
May 5, 2017 – Captain America 3
July 14, 2017 – Miss Marvel
April 6, 2018 – Guardians of the Galaxy 2
July 13, 2018 – Black Panther
May 3, 2019 – The Avengers 3
