I sat with the calendar open and felt the rhythm change. You notice it too: Marvel’s torrent of releases has thinned. That pause tells you something important about what comes next.
Update March 20 3:30 p.m.: After the original publication, Deadline reported that the previous November 2028 date for an untitled Marvel film is now an untitled Disney film, meaning Marvel will now only release three movies in 2028. We’ve updated the post below accordingly.
At first glance the schedule looks sparse — then you scan the long game.
I’ll be blunt: for the next two years Disney’s public release calendar lists only two Marvel Studios titles by name — Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. But those named gaps are filled with several untitled slots stretching into 2029, which is a different kind of message.
- May 5, 2028
- July 28, 2028 (moved from February 18, 2028)
- December 15, 2028
- May 4, 2029
- July 13, 2029
You should also note the other tentpoles: two Spider-Man releases — Brand New Day and Beyond the Spider-Verse — will sit alongside these Marvel Studios dates. That pacing feels deliberate: a pause now, then a surge later, like a dam opening.
When will Marvel release movies in 2028 and 2029?
Short answer: several untitled Marvel films are scheduled for May, July and December 2028, plus two more dates in 2029 on May 4 and July 13. Those are the furthest-out Disney dates outside the tentative Avatar sequels, per reporting from TheWrap and industry outlets like Deadline.
The room at Comic-Con is already full; rumors buzz louder than ever.
If you’ve been to San Diego Comic-Con or D23, you know how fast a whisper turns into front-page news. I expect Marvel to use those stages to place new titles into the slots above.
Two projects are effectively confirmed and carry the most weight. First, the MCU’s pivot toward mutants has a visible anchor: a new X-Men film, directed by Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts), is in active development. I’d bet it’s aiming for that May 2028 window to set the board for what follows.
Second, Ryan Coogler has said Black Panther 3 is his next film. Given Coogler’s profile and the franchise’s box-office power, you’ll expect a premium slot — probably a summer or holiday date, with December 2028 a likely candidate.
Which confirmed projects are coming after Secret Wars?
Confirmed or very likely: X-Men (Schreier), Black Panther 3 (Coogler). Beyond that, common-sense bets include another Thor, a follow-up Shang‑Chi, a new Deadpool, and whatever will grow directly from the fallout of Doomsday and Secret Wars.
In the executive suite there’s a clear signal — they’re buying time to aim.
Disney and Marvel Studios are not filling dates at random. You can read that as confidence: the studio is dialing back frequency so each major payoff lands with more force. The slate’s pacing suggests a strategic reset, and I’d expect Marvel to use festival stages — San Diego Comic-Con and D23 Expo — and outlets like Deadline, TheWrap, and io9 to reveal specifics.
The post‑Secret Wars era looks like a chessboard rearranging its pieces: moving mutants to the center, letting auteurs like Coogler take marquee roles, and giving audiences a breather before the next wave.
Will X‑Men join the MCU timeline?
Yes. The X‑Men film is actively in development and intended to enter the MCU proper. Exactly where it sits narratively will depend on how Doomsday and Secret Wars resolve the Multiverse Saga — which is why Marvel’s careful calendar matters to you as a fan.
What I’d watch for over the next months: official announcements at SDCC and D23, casting and director confirmations, and how Marvel stages box-office bait (teasers, trailers, limited releases). You should follow Variety, Deadline, and Box Office Mojo for the clearest signals on marketing plans and date shuffles.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
I’ll keep watching the calendar so you don’t miss the first domino — which of these films will change how you read the MCU?