The Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to welcome back Robert Downey Jr., though not as Tony Stark. Instead, the actor is slated to portray one of Marvel's most anticipated villains, Doctor Doom. This casting marks a significant shift, placing the former Iron Man as the primary antagonist for the Fantastic Four.
Doctor Doom is expected to be a central figure in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, a film that will unite various Marvel factions including the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. This project, formerly known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, was retitled and its scope expanded, as revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. The film is scheduled for release on December 18, 2026. A full cast reveal in March 2025 included Channing Tatum as Gambit and several other popular X-Men characters.
Avengers: Secret Wars, set to conclude both Phase 6 of the MCU and the larger Multiverse Saga, will follow a year later on December 17, 2027. This film is planned as a big-screen adaptation of the iconic Secret Wars comic storyline, featuring a massive crossover event. Despite speculation, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has stated that Secret Wars will not lead to a full reboot of the MCU.
Looking beyond the Avengers films, several other projects are in various stages of development. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is slated for release on July 31, 2026, with Tom Holland returning as the web-slinger. Director Destin Daniel Cretton, who also helmed Shang-Chi, is directing this installment, which is rumored to be the first in a new trilogy of Spider-Man films.
The animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will see its second season in Fall 2026, with a third season planned for a later date. VisionQuest, a spin-off series from WandaVision centered on Vision, is expected to premiere on October 14, 2026, with Terry Matalas serving as showrunner and Paul Bettany reprising his role.
Daredevil: Born Again is set to debut its third season in 2027. Following the events of Season 2, where Daredevil was imprisoned and Kingpin exiled from New York, Season 3 will establish a new dynamic for the characters. Production for Season 3 began in March 2026.
Fans of the animated series X-Men '97 can anticipate a third season, with a fourth also reportedly in development. Similarly, Wonder Man is receiving a second season on Disney+, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Sir Ben Kingsley returning. Destin Daniel Cretton is also involved as an executive producer for this season.
Plans for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2 are still in early development. While director Destin Daniel Cretton's involvement was previously uncertain due to his work on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, he has since stated that progress is being made on the sequel. Shang-Chi himself will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, indicating the character's continued presence in the MCU.
A reboot of the X-Men franchise is also reportedly in the works, with Jake Schreier set to direct. This project is expected to establish a new continuity for the mutant characters within the MCU, potentially following the multiverse-altering events of the upcoming Avengers films.
Projects with uncertain futures include Armor Wars, which was initially conceived as a Disney+ series but was later reported to be reshaped into a movie. Don Cheadle was expected to reprise his role as War Machine. The status of Blade, starring Mahershala Ali, remains highly questionable, with reports suggesting the film may be cancelled after numerous production delays. Kevin Feige has expressed disappointment over the film's stalled development, though the character might appear in a potential Midnight Sons movie.