Phase Six and the Multiverse Saga: Films

1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25, 2025)

Marking the MCU’s long-anticipated introduction of Marvel’s First Family, this film is set on Earth-828, a retro-futuristic alternate reality. It’s directed by Matt Shakman and stars Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing).

The film brings a fresh take on Ben Grimm—not as a tragic figure, but as a confident, grounded hero Cinema blend. A mid-credits scene notably features Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom (Doctor Doom), signaling his looming villainous role in future installments.

2. Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026)

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, this is the fourth MCU Spider-Man film featuring Tom Holland as Peter Parker, alongside Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Liza Colón-Zayas, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, and Michael Mando. Positioned between major Avengers releases, it’s expected to carry significant narrative weight in Phase Six.

3. Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026)

Directed by the Russo brothers and serving as the Phase Six kickoff for the MCU’s climaxing Multiverse Saga, Doomsday sees an unprecedented ensemble: the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Wakandans, New Avengers, and even the original X-Men unite against Doctor Doom (portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., reprising his presence in the MCU as a new villain).

Alan Cumming returns as Nightcrawler—calling the experience “healing” after earlier challenges filming X2 EW.com. The film is scheduled for release on December 18, 2026.

4. Avengers: Secret Wars (December 17, 2027)

The epic conclusion to both Phase Six and the broader Multiverse Saga, this film—again directed by the Russo brothers and written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely—will continue to explore multiversal collapse and reunite key characters from across the MCU (and likely beyond).

5. Untitled Marvel Film (December 15, 2028)

Marvel has already slated another film for December 15, 2028, though details remain undisclosed—suggesting ambitious long-term planning beyond Phase Six.

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TV & Animated Miniseries on Disney+

Marvel Zombies (September 24, 2025)

This is the MCU’s first TV-MA rated animated series, continuing the storyline from What If…?‘s “Zombies?!” episode. Created by Zeb Wells and Bryan Andrews, it features a star-studded voice cast including Awkwafina, David Harbour, Simu Liu, Elizabeth Olsen, Randall Park, Florence Pugh, Paul Rudd, Hailee Steinfeld, Tessa Thompson, Dominique Thorne, Iman Vellani, and Todd Williams.

Wonder Man (December 2025)

A comedic superhero miniseries starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams (“Wonder Man”), with Ben Kingsley, Demetrius Grosse, and Ed Harris also part of the cast. Created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest, it’s part of the “Marvel Spotlight” banner and will run for eight episodes on Jio Host Star.

Additional Series

Beyond those two confirmed TV projects, Marvel’s upcoming Phase Six slate contains other series such as a Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (set roughly for early 2026).

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Overall MCU Slate Summary

Films:

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps – July 2025
• Spider-Man: Brand New Day – July 2026
• Avengers: Doomsday – December 2026
• Avengers: Secret Wars – December 2027
• Untitled MCU film – December 2028

TV / Animated:

• Marvel Zombies – September 2025
• Wonder Man – December 2025
• Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 – circa early 2026

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Creative & Narrative Highlights

• Doctor Doom’s Rise as the MCU’s New A-List Villain
  Robert Downey Jr.’s pivot from Iron Man to Doctor Doom provides a bold narrative twist and a major casting coup, signalling that Doom will likely be the dominant overarching antagonist for the Multiverse Saga.
• X-Men Integration
  Iconic X-Men characters—Magneto (Ian McKellen), Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), and Cyclops (James Marsden)—are confirmed to appear in Doomsday, deepening the historic crossover between the Fox X-Men universe and the MCU.
• Creative Tone Shifts
  The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces lighter, more emotionally positive characterizations (e.g., a confident Ben Grimm), while Wonder Man brings a meta, comedic flair, and Marvel Zombies offers a darker, horror-tinged animated tone.
• Production & Location Notes
  Filming for major upcoming titles like Spider-Man: Brand New Day began in August 2025 in locations like Glasgow and Pinewood Studios.