It’s been over two years since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings entered theaters and went down as the most critically acclaimed Marvel Multiverse Saga movie not called Spider-Man: No Way Home, but there’s still no word on a sequel happening. At least we now know that Simu Liu is returning to the MCU at long last next year, but probably not how you expected. 3e4a2m

You’d think that a high 91% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, and near-total audience adulation at 98%, would ensure some kind of announcement on Shang-Chi 2, but unfortunately Marvel’s kept mum on the future of Simu Liu’s superhero for the longest time. The pieces are finally falling into place, though, thanks to the studio unfolding its full 2025 TV lineup, with additional info confirming that Shang-Chi is on his way back to the MCU. Get ready for Shang-Chi, zombie hunter!

Marvel Zombies confirmed to include Shang-Chi, Kate Bishop, Ms. Marvel and more 323zz

Following Disney cementing Marvel’s 2025 movie schedule — which confirms Blade ain’t coming anytime soon — the studio has done the same for the House of Ideas’ streaming output, too. Those who loved X-Men ’97 and What If…? are in luck as we’ve got three whole animated shows to come next year. First, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man swings along in January, Eyes of Wakanda follows in August, and then Marvel Zombies shambles into view in October.

Yes, this is the long-awaited R-rated horror miniseries as based in the post-apocalyptic alternate universe introduced in What If…? season 1, episode 5. And, thanks to leaked artwork from the series, it looks like it’s something of a backdoor Shang-Chi sequel to boot. As you can see above, the artwork confirms that the ragtag bunch of heroes battling the zombified Avengers includes Shang-Chi, Kate Bishop, Kamala Khan, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Jimmy Woo, and even Shang-Chi’s old enemy Death Dealer. New zombie additions include Ghost, Hawkeye, and Abomination.

Now, it’s true that at present Liu hasn’t been announced to have lent his voice to this show, and What If…? has already established that Marvel isn’t above replacing its big names with soundalikes. That said, with Shang-Chi placed front and center in this image as the leader of the zombie-hunting hero team, it does suggest that he’s the series’ key draw so you’d expect getting the Barbie star back would be a top priority. Plus, the guy has only just started playing in the MCU sandbox, would he really let someone else play his character already?

Naturally, Marvel Zombies will introduce its own variant of the character, so there’s still no news on when we could get that confounding post-credits mystery from the first film resolved. With director Destin Daniel Cretton busy making Spider-Man 4, Shang-Chi 2 remains unlikely to emerge during the remainder of this saga and 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday may be our best bet of seeing Liu in live-action next. At least Marvel Zombies is coming in 12 months’ time to satiate our Shang-Chi cravings.

To say that Marvel Studios is feeling the weight of the years would be an understatement. To say that the MCU‘s future is guaranteed would be an outright lie. Fortunately for everyone involved, it looks like even the producers understand the predicament they’re in all too well.

Don’t let the predictable success of Deadpool & Wolverine lull you into thinking that Marvel has already made the epic comeback we’ve been waiting for since after the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021. If anything, the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom just as the hit-and-miss Multiverse Saga lost its equivalent of Thanos (and that would be Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror) reeks of desperation. I mean, what does it say about Marvel when even bringing RDJ back doesn’t pan out the way they anticipate it?

Well, according to a new report circulating on social media, Marvel wants to “end the Multiverse Saga ASAP,” and that’s why they’re pushing around the line-up to wrap things up with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars as quickly as possible. The first unfortunate victim of this new rejiggering is none other than Shang-Chi 2, which is being pushed aside until Phase Seven.

And to think that despite being a failure at the box office, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was actually one of the better movies in Phase Four. I’m almost positive that Simu Liu will have a part to play in the crossover event, but I don’t suppose it would be anything more than a ing role.

The entire Multiverse Saga has been a disaster from the get-go. Sure, there have been box office successes like Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There have even been half-decent flicks like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the aforementioned No Way Home. But it seems like for every successful outing, there are two disastrous ones to counter it. Eternals, Love and Thunder, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and The Marvels are just to name a few.

Marvel will need to do some fast juggling, and by that, I mean compelling storytelling set with a flawless pace, to counter the negative effects of some of the weaker projects in Phase Five and Six. Robert Downey Jr. needs a proper re-introduction, and that might be easier said than done. Thanos had a headstart as early as the first Avengers movie in 2012, but the producers are counting on RDJ’s endless charm and charisma to carry the next two films this time around. And if that goes well, there’s no telling if the plot itself will be worthy of the MCU mantle, especially since it’s expected to succeed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

In fact, it might be that Marvel has got it backward. Maybe it’s not the Multiverse Sag, per se, that’s causing the problem. Perhaps it’s the fact that people continually hold everything up against the Infinity Saga, and that’s not a bar so easily overcome.

Then again, we’ve been surprised by Kevin Feige before.

Canadian actor Simu Liu recently set social media abuzz with a shirtless mirror selfie. The image in question features the Barbie actor looking extremely ripped in a pair of blue shorts, accessorized with a large-faced watch and gold necklace.

However, the image, shared via Liu’s official X , was more than just a thirst trap because it was accompanied by the word “prepping,” which suggests that the actor’s muscular physique is the result of intensive training for a new project. Fans immediately shared their theories about the role, with posts across social media hinting that Liu could be training for Marvel Studio’s Avengers: Doomsday film, which is set for release on May 1, 2026.

It’s currently unclear if Liu will appear in Avengers: Doomsday as Marvel Studios has not announced the final cast yet. However, the of The Fantastic Four, played by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, are set to appear. The movie, which features Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom, will be directed by Anthony and Joe Russo from a script by Stephen McFeely. Filming will begin in London in the second quarter of 2025.

Lui could also be preparing for the sequel to 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Speaking to The Times of India on Aug. 16, the actor confirmed that the movie is still in the works, though he was unable to share further details. “A lot of it is above my pay grade, but it’s definitely happening,” he told the publication. “I’m very excited to work on it, and it’s going to be amazing. I really can’t say anything beyond that,” he continued.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings tells the story of Shang-Chi (Liu), a martial artist who was trained to be an assassin by his father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung). Wenwu is the leader of a powerful criminal group called the Ten Rings, named after the magical artifacts he controls, which give him immortality and incredible power. Shang-Chi tries to live a normal life in San Francisco, but he’s forced to return home when his father comes after him and his sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang).

The Marvel alum is also set to star in a brand new untitled thriller series on Peacock. Per the official logline via Variety, the thriller begins when “five minutes in the future, a first-generation-American intelligence analyst Alexander Hale (Liu) realizes his brain has been hacked, giving the perpetrators access to everything he sees and hears. Caught between his shadowy agency and the hackers, he must maintain a performance 24/7 to flush out those responsible and prove where his allegiance lies.”

Along with Liu, the cast includes Melissa Barrera as Michelle, Sinclair Daniel as Parker, Brian d’Arcy James as John, Mark O’Brien as Cobb, and Kathleen Chalfant as St. George. While the series does not have a release date at this time, Liu certainly is an actor in great demand, with more screen time to come in the future.

The self-sabotaging strangeness of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga can be summed up in a single case study: the story of Shang-Chi. Despite releasing way back in summer 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stands as the most popular non-sequel Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame on Rotten Tomatoes, thanks to its 91% critics score and almost-perfect 98% audience score. And yet a sequel still isn’t primed for take-off.

Shang-Chi stans got some conflicting news this week when director Destin Daniel Cretton was announced to be helming Spider-Man 4. This is absolutely a much-deserved new gig for the filmmaker, who was replaced on Avengers 5 by the Russo brothers, but it did make folks wonder what exactly this meant for Shang-Chi 2, which Cretton has long been committed to spearhading himself.

Unfortunately, according to new rumored info, Shang-Chi 2 has been stalled for the time being, potentially forever. Scooper Jeff “The InSneider” Sneider claims that the Simu Liu-starring sequel is no longer in active development, and that it’s “unclear” if Marvel is even interested in resurrecting the project at a later date.

To be clear, this is far from confirmed, and Liu gave a fairly encouraging sequel update earlier this year, but it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if this intel ultimately turned out to be accurate. This summer’s sensation Deadpool & Wolverine definitely seems to mark a fresh start for the MCU, so it would make sense if the studio wished to streamline and start again, even if that means making some tough calls.

That said, many are hoping Shang-Chi 2 is just on hold for now and once the Secrets Wars of it all is over with then Marvel will be able to devote more time to getting it right.

That is assuming the Barbie actor is on board the franchise for the long haul — who knows what Secret Wars could do to this universe and its ever-growing population of heroes?

The good news is that Cretton seems to be well-entrenched at Marvel — on top of almost making Avengers 5 and directing Spider-Man 4, he’s also producing the Wonder Man series. And, if Cretton’s influence does only grow from here, you’d imagine he would do all he could to get a Shang-Chi sequel off the ground. And probably relaunch the Captain Marvel series too, given that Cretton is best pals with Brie Larson and she’s been in all his films to date.

It comes to something when a movie that received near universal acclaim doesn’t get a sequel fast-tracked. Especially as the first left so many dangling plot threads, such as where Xialing’s Ten Rings organization goes from here and where the heck the Ten Ring armbands come from anyway. Please, Kevin Feige, I’m begging you. Don’t let these questions “what happened to space pirate Harry Styles?” in the overflowing trashcan of eternal MCU mysteries.

Humility is the great boon of all the world’s artists. It’s one thing to be able to parse helpful from unhelpful criticism, but that hinges on being able to swallow criticism in the first place. Without criticism, there can be no growth.

The best case scenario is if you’re capable of critiquing your own work as an unlikely outsider looking in. In the case of Marvel Studios, the Kevin Feige machine has such an iron grip on each and every production, that compared to him, any one of the other involved creatives might fit the “outsider looking in” description. This might seem a despairing notion to Marvel actors past and present, but Simu Liu isn’t here to despair; he’s here to chuckle.

Responding to a tweet by Marvel Multiverse asking X s to rate Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings out of 10 in honor of the film’s third anniversary on Sept. 2, Liu cheekily scored it 8.5/10, noting that the lead actor in the film is “a little too full of himself.” The joke, of course, is that Liu himself is said lead actor, and you can almost feel the comedy gods dousing him in their ichor (that’s a good thing).

The replies to Liu’s gag were all too happy to in on this particular clown fiesta.

Liu must have been ultimately satisfied with his performance in any case, because he’s still due to reprise the role of Shang-Chi in future MCU projects, including a sequel whose details continue to elude us. And that was all back before the full pivot to Doctor Doom, which itself spun out of the previous pivot to Kang the Conqueror when Feige realized how good of an actor Jonathan Majors was.

This is to say that there is absolutely no telling from one day to the next when we’ll be seeing Shang-Chi again, and whenever we do, there’s also no telling how he’s going to fit in to this current canon. The events of Shang-Chi were locked in well before Marvel Studios decided to centralize Kang, and so the decision to centralize Kang almost certainly had an effect on Shang-Chi’s narrative trajectory (as well as that of the Ten Rings, which have been implied to have Infinity Stone-level significance to the wider narrative).

And now with this decision to bring Doctor Doom in to replace Kang as the Multiverse Saga’s big bad, that likely readjusted the whole arc of the Saga once again, which subsequently readjusted Shang-Chi’s place in it. With so much backtracking and pivoting happening behind the scenes, it’s no wonder the Multiverse Saga feels as disted as it does.

We look forward to seeing Shang-Chi again all the same, as Legend of the Ten Rings was one of the strongest entries in this post-Endgame world by a considerable degree. But it remains that the character’s dubious future is just one of many receipts that prove that business-driven storytelling is idiotic and counterproductive.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most in-depth and successful franchise of all time during its 16-year run at the box office. While it began with Iron Man in 2008, for fans following the narrative, that’s not where the story actually begins.

There are currently 34 movies in the MCU — soon to be 35 with Captain America: Brave New World — released in five phases. Phases One through Three, known as the Infinity Saga, collectively bring viewers closer to the arrival of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and its epic follow-up, Avengers: Endgame. Meanwhile, phases Four through Six, known as the Multiverse Saga, began in 2021 and will eventually bring viewers closer to Robert Downey Jr.’s ultimate MCU comeback as Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and its subsequent multiversal showdown in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. : Kang is a thing of the past.

Phase Four began in 2021 with the Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and continued into 2022 with three major franchise sequels: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Phase Five began in 2023 and also included four franchise sequels, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and most recently Deadpool & Wolverine.

Following the success of Marvel’s Disney Plus streaming hits like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, we’ve received fresh entries like Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion, Loki season 2, and soon Agatha All Along. They aim to continue the budding tradition of bringing focused character studies to the small screen, but in light of criticism over reduced quality, Marvel has scaled back these productions a bit. Nevertheless, these shows tie into the larger Marvel universe, which is actually more of a multiverse now. However, those shows won’t be mentioned on this list, as this list pertains to feature films only.

There are numerous ways to enjoy Marvel films, including the order in which they were released, or drawn out of a hat at random, although that last option isn’t recommended for first-time viewers. However, in this article, we’ll be breaking down the chronological timeline of all films in the MCU so you can watch them in the correct narrative order. An at-a-glance lineup of Phases One through Three can be found below:

Below is a breakdown of every MCU film in narrative-timeline order, all of which, save Deadpool & Wolverine, are available to stream now on Disney Plus. Thanks to Marvel’s official The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, we now have a clearer picture of not only what is and isn’t MCU canon, but also whether the nuggets of information we’ve compiled over the years do, indeed, fit into the slots we’ve given them. Spoiler alert: they do.

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Taking place first in the timeline, Captain America: The First Avenger provides the origin story for one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, Steve Rogers, played by the dynamite Chris Evans. This film mostly takes place in 1942 and showcases Rogers’ journey from a scrawny infantry soldier to full-blown Captain America who faces off against Red Skull.

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Next up is Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, much closer to modern times. This movie is the first in the timeline to explore space travel and intergalactic threats. As we are introduced to both Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and soon-to-be S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the pair gets involved in the conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls, with surprising results.

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The third film in the timeline was the very first Marvel film to be released: Iron Man. The billionaire philanthropist-turned-superhero Tony Stark has his origin story told in this fan-favorite film. Thanks to its box office success and fans’ adoration of Robert Downey Jr.’s performance, the film ultimately kicked off the entire MCU franchise.

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Picking up shortly after the events of the first Iron Man, Iron Man 2 continues the story of the suited superhero now with his identity known to the public. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the son of a scientist who previously worked at Stark Industries, is back with a grudge and creates his own weaponry with the goal of taking revenge for his fallen father. The film also introduces a soon-to-be Avenger in Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

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While many fans may choose to forego 2008’s The Incredible Hulk in their MCU binge given that it features Ed Norton in the role instead of Mark Ruffalo (who later became the official Banner), it’s still technically a part of the MCU timeline. This movie gives fans a unique take on the Hulk’s origin story and hints at more things to come in the closing credits.

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Thor’s initial big-screen debut took place in 2011 and gave fans their first look at Asgard and other realms via the Bifrost. This one finds the titular god traveling to Earth to defend the world from Loki and a Frost Giant threat. For many moviegoers, this was their introduction to the beloved character, played by Chris Hemsworth, and for many it solidly delivered.

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The first crossover film in the timeline came with The Avengers, which was set at the conclusion of Marvel’s Phase One. The Avengers brought together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, the Hulk, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to protect the Earth from Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Chitauri invasion. The movie also played a key role in introducing the Tesseract as the first of the Infinity Stones. These stones were ultimately the key to all future plans in the MCU.

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The second Thor film in the MCU, Thor: The Dark World, gives us a closer look at Asgard, its inner workings, and the relationship between Thor, his brother Loki, and their father, Odin. The film also gives us insight into the second Infinity Stone, the Aether, which was wielded by the movie’s antagonists, the Dark Elves. Though it’s largely considered one of the less-impressive Marvel films, it serves its purpose and thankfully paves the way for a wonderful Thor threequel.

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In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark deals with anxiety after experiencing the intergalactic invasion of the Chitauri. After diving into full damage control mode and assembling an army of suits, he’s forced to choose between being Iron Man and protecting those he loves. Meanwhile, he must also deal with the looming threat of “The Mandarin.”

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Hailed as one of the best films in the entire MCU franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier introduces viewers to more of Captain America’s past and throws Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, back into the fray. The movie also reveals the hidden HYDRA threat still present among the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D that ultimately leads to its demise.

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When it was announced that Disney was going to bring the Guardians to the big screen, many were skeptical, but Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be one of the best space films ever, let alone one in the MCU. It introduced us to Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), an unlikely team that attempts to stop the plot of Ronan the Acc (Lee Pace) from using the Power Stone to destroy Xandar.

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Taking place shortly after the first film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gives us a closer look at Peter Quill’s backstory and heritage while also introducing a new member to the squad in the form of Mantis (Pom Klementieff). The story also dives deeper into the sibling rivalry between Gamora and Nebula (Karen Gillan) and shines a light on their relationship with their adoptive father, Thanos, which would pay off in just a few short films.

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Crossing over once again, the cast of the original Avengers film s forces to defend the Earth from the threat of Ultron (James Spader), a supercomputer developed to be a peacekeeping program by Tony Stark, which overrides its programming and now seeks to eliminate all mankind. In the latter half of the film, the Avengers get a few new additions in the form of Vision (Paul Bettany) and the Maximoff twins, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

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Ant-Man tells the story of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a thief who is recruited by Dr. Hank Pym to assist him with stopping the plot of his former protège, who cast him away from his own company. During the film, Lang becomes Ant-Man after being gifted a suit and trained to use Pym Particles to shrink his size, giving him superhuman strength and the ability to control ants.

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While not an Avengers film by name, Captain America: Civil War brings most of the superhero cast together for a face-off over a disagreement on the Sokovia Accords following the events of Age of Ultron. Civil War was also used to introduce a few new characters to the Avengers’ roster, including Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

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Finally getting her own origin film after being part of the MCU for over a decade, Natasha Romanoff heads back to her roots in Black Widow, which launched earlier this year. The film introduced us to Natasha’s sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who fans got to see again in Hawkeye and who will undoubtedly be appearing again, possibly in a villainous team-up compliments of a certain character who appears in the post-credits scene.

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Despite what the movie may have led you to believe, it does not take place eight years after The Avengers. Marvel finally addressed the snafu after years of sweeping it under the rug in the official Marvel Studios: The MCU — An Official Timeline book, confirming it was indeed only four years after the Battle of New York. Taking place right after the events of Civil War, Spider-Man’s MCU debut chose not to retell the hero’s origin story, instead giving us a coming-of-age film that finds Peter Parker juggling his duties as Spider-Man with the demands of high school. There are plenty of comic book Spidey villains teased throughout the film, but his biggest threat is the Vulture, menacingly played by Michael Keaton, who is apparently bad with math.

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Instead of an origin story, when we pick up in Black Panther, T’Challa has already taken on the mantle as the titular hero after the ing of his father in Civil War. This film gives viewers their first look at the inner workings of the afrofuturistic Wakanda, as well as an epic tale of personal and ideological rivalry between T’Challa and Killmonger (Michael B Jordan).

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The first time we are treated to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the MCU is in his self-titled film. The story explores the origins of Stephen Strange’s character and teases the ideas of multiple dimensions, cosmic beings, and time-traveling threats. As you’d expect, the Time Stone is also a crucial element of the film and only becomes more important from here on out. Other standout characters in the film include Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), Wong (Benedict Wong), Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

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Directed by Taika Waititi and taking on a different style and tone than the previous Thor films, Ragnarok has a more comical personality while maintaining high-quality action sequences. The film addresses many of the loose ends following Age of Ultron and follows Thor and Loki as they attempt to stop their half-sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett) from taking over Asgard. The ending of this film offers a jaw-dropping lead-in to what quickly becomes the beginning of the end of the Infinity Saga.

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The first part of the epic culmination of all the previous MCU films, Avengers: Infinity War finally gives us our first major introduction to Thanos (Josh Brolin), who has been working behind the scenes to gather the Infinity Stones with the goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. The movie takes place in 2018 and ultimately, leaves fans with a stunning cliffhanger that segues directly into Avengers: Endgame.

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The sequel to Ant-Man, this film takes place at the same time as the events of Infinity War in 2018 and does a great job of telling its own story within the Ant-Man comic book canon. This one digs deeper into the relationship between Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her mother (Michelle Pfeiffer), and also introduces a mysterious new villain, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Just like Infinity War, the final moments of this film leave viewers breathless for answers in anticipation of the impending Endgame.

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The epic conclusion to over a decade of storytelling, Avengers: Endgame has everything fans could ever want in a Marvel film. It takes place in October 2023, five years after the events of Infinity War, and sees the remaining Avengers attempt to regain hope of defeating Thanos and restore what was lost after his infamous “Snap,” which was later renamed “The Blip.” In the closing act, Endgame boasts one of the most epic action sequences in all of cinema, blasting expectations wide open and forever changing the MCU as we know it.

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Shang-Chi is one of the latest heroes to the MCU, and in this first film exploring his character’s origin, we learn more about his role amidst the greater events playing out within the franchise. Alongside his friend Katy (Awkwafina), Shang-Chi is drawn back into the life he used to know and must face the father (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) he thought he left behind. During the iconic bus fight scene between Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings operative Gao Lei, we’re shown the dates July 21 to 28 in a Jazz Blues Festival ment. Since Katy’s grandma also mentions the “Day of the Dead,” a festival resembling the Chinese Qingming Festival — which takes place in April — and the film itself spans two weeks, we can assume the movie takes place in April 2024. This would put it before Far From Home.

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Picking up right after Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home addresses the events that took place during the previous film while also introducing some new faces and returning characters from the past. It takes place during the summer of 2024, eight months after The Blip. This is the perfect bridging point to close out Phase Three and enter Phase Four of the MCU — after watching Shang-Chi, of course.

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With its many flashbacks telling the story not only of the Eternals themselves but also the history of the universe, it can be difficult to give this film a true place in the MCU timeline. That said, its present-day moments take place around the same time as Far From Home in 2024, likely just afterward given that the events of the film were not mentioned in the Spider-Man sequel. Fans and critics were largely split on the film (to put it mildly), except in regard to that colorful cameo by Harry Styles in the post-credits scene. Whether Styles will actually return to the MCU is another matter entirely.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Logan took place in 2029, so Deadpool & Wolverine must also take place during or after that, meaning it should be at the bottom of this list. Well, no. The Merc with the Mouth’s first foray into the MCU actually occurs in 2024. We know this because after Happy Hogan rejects Wade’s request to the Avengers (on March 14, 2018, on Earth-616) the time stamp on the screen tells us we jump six years into the future — back on Earth-1005 — which would place the film in 2024. And because we see Wade celebrating his birthday and he’s said in the comics that he’s a Scorpio (on the cusp of a Libra, thank you very much) — and because Deadpool & Wolverine showcases a decent amount of fall foliage — we can safely assume the film occurs in October 2024. As for why Earth-10005’s Wolverine is already dead at the beginning of Deadpool & Wolverine when Logan’s death shouldn’t have occurred for another five years — well, it’s likely that Wade jumped forward in time using the TVA’s TemPad. That, or we’re just going to file the mistake away with all of Marvel’s other embarrassing timeline errors.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home takes place immediately after its predecessor, Far From Home around Nov. 2024. The film brings Peter Parker on the most mind-blowing adventure of his life ⏤ which, unfortunately, no one but he will . The film saw him grapple with everything from losing his Aunt May, to facing off against villains from completely different universes. It also led to Peter finding an unexpected brotherhood with alternate versions of himself, perfectly brought to life by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in tear-inducing appearances that will stand the test of time.

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Benedict Cumberbatch’s return as the title character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness picked up after the events of No Way Home. It saw Strange deal with the implications of multiversal travel while facing new friends and foes, some of whom created serious trouble for him (ahem – Wanda). Wanda’s future was thrown into flux after she was presumably killed off in the movie’s final moments, but she is rumored to return in a Disney Plus spin-off series, which may or may not happen since Marvel subtly announced that the Earth-616 version of the character is canonically dead. Strange, too, received a cliffhanger ending, something we hope will be addressed in the rumored Doctor Strange 3.

In the meantime, you can rest assured that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place after Spider-Man: No Way Home, which takes place right around the events of Hawkeye, which takes place around Christmas 2024.

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Thanks to Disney Plus, we now know that — in the eyes of Marvel Studios — this film takes place after Doctor Strange 2. It also takes place after Ms. Marvel, which is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 because of the school’s homecoming dance. However, in Love and Thunder Jane Foster’s eppendorf vial’s tag includes the date April 30, suggesting it takes place in the beginning of 2025. Unfortunately, since we don’t know exactly when Thor and Jane broke up, the God of Thunder’s comments about their breakup happening 8 years 7 months and 6 days before the movie doesn’t exactly paint a clear picture either. Our best bet is to just assume Love and Thunder takes place in April 2025, especially when looking at the next MCU installments on the timeline.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 5i3s70

According to Black Panther Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore, we have a place in the timeline to slot Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Moore says that this film takes place alongside the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, around the start of 2025, so for all rewatching purposes you should be able to enjoy either film first. This placement would make a lot of sense, since neither film directly affects the events of the other. Secret Invasion, on the other hand, almost had us questioning the timing of things when our favorite CIA from Wakanda Forever was revealed to be a Skrull (that was all put to rest in the season finale, though).

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania u5q6j

For those who are sticklers for dates, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes place during the start of 2025, like Wakanda Forever. How do we know this? A news clip in Wakanda Forever mentions Scott Lang’s book tour, and because book tours don’t last entire years, Quantumania definitely takes place before The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which occurs later that year during Christmastime, which also means it takes place before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, Disney Plus messed with the timeline when it decided to place Quantumania after The Guardians Holiday Special, which it most certainly is not, resulting in MODOK-sized canon headache, if you ask us. It wouldn’t be the first time Disney Plus goofed with the MCU’s timeline, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the time Quantumania was accidentally erased from Phase Five. (Don’t worry, it’s not).

The Marvels 25512c

Ms. Marvel provides us with a pretty good guestimation where The Marvels takes place on the MCU timeline. Because the Disney Plus series is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 and Kamala Khan’s body-swapping problem doesn’t go unaddressed long, The Marvels likely takes place before 2026, which means it comes before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Carol Danvers’ intergalactic team-up with Captain Rambeau and Kamala to defeat the Kree general Dar-Benn in the highly-anticipated sequel to her billion-dollar predecessor, Captain Marvel, also happens to be the shortest movie in MCU history. Should any information in the movie, which will premiere in just a few short days, contradict this entry, we will revise it ASAP.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 244x22

It’s hard to give Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 an exact place on the MCU’s timeline since it is unaffected by previous films and has little effect on the overall MCU storyline. However, it’s safe to say that this intergalactic, twisty-turny threequel takes place in 2026 since it occurs after the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in Dec. 2025. As a rule of thumb, here’s every MCU movie you should watch before starting Vol. 3.

Dwindling interest in the MCU‘s Multiverse Saga has reached such a point that we’re not entirely sure a new Avengers movie could restore the franchise to its former world-conquering glory. “But, hold on,” you might be thinking, imaginary opinionated reader, “didn’t Deadpool 3 just break records to become the most-viewed trailer on YouTube">meeting Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

Team Red remains a pipe-dream for now, but if the next few phases come and go without DD, DP, and Spidey hanging out then Marvel will be left severely red-faced.

It’s February, and we still have no news on either the cast of Fantastic Four or what exactly is happening with Spider-Man 4. Although, if you believe the latest word on the street, it sounds like Tom Holland may need even more convincing to sign back on than he did before…

At least, even if Marvel Studios might not be happy about it, a leaked look at an MCU project has installed even more faithful among the faithful that this one could be really special. Who knows, Deadpool 3 might want to watch out as it could even end up as Phase 5’s most acclaimed hit. But first:

Don’t panic, but Spider-Man 4 is rumored to be losing one of Tom Holland’s most trusted collaborators 3h5t1i

As much as fans might want him to play Peter Parker forever, there’s a distinct worry that Tom Holland is about to say “Spider-Man No More” and quit the franchise. We still have every faith that he’ll come back for Spider-Man 4, but the latest alleged scoop about Spidey’s MCU return isn’t exactly encouraging on this front. It’s being claimed that Jon Watts won’t return to helm the next movie, after directing the entire prior trilogy. Seeing as Holland and Watts had such a successful working relationship, it would be easy to imagine him deciding to move on as well. Zendaya, please do us all a favor and, next time you’re snuggling up rewatching Homecoming, convince him to make another one.

X-Men ’97 first-look leak once again proves why it could secretly be the best MCU Phase 5 project 4q1j3n

What’s the next Marvel Studios show coming to Disney Plus? The answer, although a lot of fans might be overlooking its existence, is X-Men ’97, the animated continuation of 1990s classic X-Men: The Animated Series. Although it remains to be seen if widespread audiences will respond to this shameless bit of nostalgia-bait for ’90s kids, all the signs are pointing to it wowing the hardcore fandom. This may not be how Marvel wanted us to see it, but a leaked image offering our inaugural glimpse at the show’s animation style is earning total adoration for how, well, un-What If…? it is. Look out for more official teases as we near its streaming release this March.

Simu Liu wants a Shang-Chi 2 ASAP, but is that Kenough to convince Kevin Feige? 67k1j

He was Ken, but if you ask Marvel fans Simu Liu was already a ten thanks to his winning turn as the title character in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — which remains the highest-rated Multiverse Saga movie outside of No Way Home. It’s surprising, then, that we’ve heard so little about the chances of a Shang-Chi 2 happening. So the Barbie star itting on social media that a sequel really needs to happen may be an indication that, unfortunately, it’s still not actually happening. , Liu previously said the project is stuck in a kind of limbo and now has little hope of arriving before Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. Is it Shang-Chi’s destiny to live and die a life of one-film fragility?

Put that manly hand in mine as more Marvel updates arrive daily, from the Eternals allegedly living on in a new medium to Kingpin borrowing a page from Donald Trump’s textbook.

The Multiverse Saga often takes a beating from fans, but among the many MCU movies that have been judged as disappointments this decade, there are a few diamonds in the rough. On Rotten Tomatoes, for instance, there are two Phase Four films to earn over 90% critics scores. One is Spider-Man: No Way Home, which to be honest is so majestic and multiversal that it might as well count as a whole phase onto itself. This means that the top-rated “regular” Phase 4 film is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Sure enough, it’s not just the critics either, as fans typically cite the film as a real highlight of the MCU post-Avengers: Endgame. Star Simu Liu going on to play a Ken in 2023’s biggest blockbuster Barbie hasn’t hurt its image either. And yet a Shang-Chi 2 remains absent from Marvel’s slate. Liu himself has now revived interest in the sequel by publicly urging Marvel to make it. While this makes clear the actor is as ionate about the character as ever, it does unfortunately tell us that maybe the studio isn’t.

While engaging with fans on the topic of superhero fatigue, Liu took to Threads to champion the genre. itting that he’s “an unabashed fan of superhero movies,” the star conceded that he understands “everyone’s gripes about the overuse of CGI” but stressed that comic book cinema is “one of the few spaces where a person of color can be the main character.” He continued, “Science fiction and fantasy movies ask us to imagine a world where anything is possible. So, for what it’s worth, I hope the genre sustains and survives. Also, ya, we need to give the people a sequel!”

Liu isn’t making any secrets of the fact he wants a Shang-Chi 2, but the fact that he’s openly itting this is something Marvel needs to get on probably means such a project is not currently in the works.

What’s going on with Shang-Chi 2? 5o2m23

Assuming this inference from Liu’s comment is correct, this means there’s been no major headway made on the sequel since the actor’s last, equally disappointing, update about the production. Back in July 2023, which marked two years since Shang-Chi‘s release, Liu gave a surprisingly honest and open answer when asked about the status of Shang-Chi 2 on Threads. “Was told it would follow Avengers,” Liu replied. “But that keeps pushing back due to circumstances beyond my control.”

It’s unclear exactly what Avengers film Liu was referring to, but presumably he was talking about The Film Formerly Known As Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, coming in May 2026, rather than Avengers: Secret Wars, due May 2027. 2026 had previously been rumored as a potential release window for the sequel. Unfortunately, going by the lack of movement on the movie, it seems 2027 or, eesh, even 2028 is more likely now. The good news is that Liu is surely destined to have some kind of role in those Avengers events, as he teams up with the other Multiverse Saga heroes to battle Jonathan Majors’ Kang whoever.

Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton unfortunately exited Kang Dynasty himself just before Majors’ firing and screenwriter Michael Waldron was hired to do a page-one rewrite, but he is remaining with the studio to produce Wonder Man. So fingers crossed Shang-Chi 2 can become more than just a legend in the near future.

How can the MCU launch itself back to greatness? That’s the question Marvel fans, and very possibly Marvel Studios execs, are asking after 2023 turned out to be such a bust for what was once the undisputed biggest franchise in the world. But maybe Marvel doesn’t have to look as far back to fix things as we might think.

There’s a widespread belief that the Multiverse Saga has been miss after miss, with only outlier films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hitting home. However, the folks of the r/marvelstudios subreddit are challenging that conception by championing a Phase Four favorite that is sadly mostly forgotten about just two a half years later. Namely, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

“Just rewatched Shang-Chi and I feel like it doesn’t get talked about enough,” wrote Redditor Rizxzi. “In my opinion it’s one of the best post Endgame films and up there with the entire MCU and the fight and action scenes are up there with the best.” According to this fan, what the franchise really needs now is more movies of the same quality as the summer 2021 blockbuster starring Simu Liu.

“With the state of some of the MCU projects at the moment I hope we see lots more of Shang-Chi and [their] cast,” they concluded. “Simu Liu really was born for this role.”

There’s not much that Marvel lovers agree on these days, but it looks like an all-round appreciation for Shang-Chi is one of them. One commenter concurred that “Shang-Chi is definitely one of the better movies after Endgame,” praising the end credits scene as well as the “amazing” fight scenes for their “top notch” choreography.

Even those who were critical of the films’s CGI-laden third act, which one felt caused it to “fall apart,” itted they really liked it. “For me the best parts are the practical stunts and the family drama in the first two thirds,” they responded.

So, if everyone’s on board the Shang-Chi hype train, why isn’t it viewed as one of the best MCU movies? The blame is being left at the slow-moving pace of the Multiverse Saga, which means we haven’t seen the lead character again since.

“The problem is that there’s been zero follow-up on that success, and the current word is that we won’t see him again til 2026 or later,” one commenter argued. “In comparison, we saw Iron Man appear in 3 films plus The Avengers over the course of 5 years. Marvel is dropping the ball hard by not featuring Shang-Chi anywhere since his debut film.”

In Marvel’s defense, Simu Liu is a very busy guy — he did just play a Ken in Barbie, the biggest movie of 2023 — but clearly the flaw doesn’t lie in Marvel’s commitment to introducing new characters all the time, despite that being a common complaint. The real problem comes from the fact they’re not giving these newbies the screentime they deserve to become the next Iron Man, Captain America, or Thor. Shang-Chi, in particular.

Now that we’re on the other side of Marvel’s awkwardly experimental Phase 4, we turn to Phase 5 and realize, this isn’t really working either. What’s going on? To understand where it’s falling short, we need to assess what did work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s past.

Unlike Phases 1-3, collectively known as the Infinity Saga, this current Multiverse Saga just doesn’t feel like it has a consistent sense of focus or a throughline. With 2008’s Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. gave us a flawed but somehow relatable hero in Tony Stark. Looking back, it’s amazing to consider how much the franchise has transformed since then — for better and for worse.

You have to that Iron Man was fairly grounded in reality. There were no wizards, giant purple aliens, or multiple dimensions. Not even Steve Rogers was mentioned in the film, even if an Easter Egg of his shield in Tony’s garage indicated he did exist.

Humble beginnings 626z3k

At the time of its release, with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins finding resounding success three years earlier, Iron Man truly felt like an MCU version of that same kind of origin tale. You have a billionaire playboy with no superpowers, but a great intellect, going through a hardship in a foreign land that leads him to become a suited-up vigilante no longer interested in continuing a war but maintaining peace. In Bruce Wayne’s case, he gave up the idea of seeking revenge on his parent’s killer after realizing it would not give him any satisfaction, and in Tony’s case, he gave up being a weapons manufacturer after realizing his own capture by terrorists was enabled and motivated by the proliferation of his machines of war.

In short, were given the perfect character that would serve as a stand-in for the audience itself. Tony existed as a fantasy fulfilment for us, even before his superpowered suit, owing to his luxurious lifestyle and debonair persona. But after the suit? It inspired the notion that there is a noble aspect within us all that we, too, can conjure up and become the hero of our story. For all intents and purposes, Tony was the main character of the Infinity Saga.

Today, there really isn’t a main character that can serve as a stand-in for the audience in the same way that Tony did. Who is the current leader of the Avengers during this Multiverse Saga? Is it Spider-Man? Doctor Strange? Maybe Ant-Man? Bruce Banner? Thor? It’s entirely unclear. But in the Infinity Saga, there was an unambiguous center to it all, found in the Arc Reactor implanted in Tony’s chest.

No clear path 2q5r6z

What’s more, the Infinity Saga era of the MCU always felt it was building toward a clear and direct path to something bigger. Even before Thanos, the end credit tease in Iron Man of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury walking into Tony Stark’s home to tell him about the “Avengers Initiative,” broadcasting to us that an Avengers movie was on the way. Sure enough, we got more superhero movies one by one which all culminated in the crossover of 2012’s The Avengers, to great satisfaction.

What are we building toward today in the Multiverse Saga? I would argue it’s entirely unclear. Phase 4’s efforts felt like the message was “the multiverse is coming.” You had several different properties establishing multiversal elements, from the Disney Plus shows WandaVision and Loki to blockbuster films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The only issue, though, was that each one seemed to establish its own set of rules for how the multiverse worked. They felt shockingly disconnected.

Then we were told Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror would be the next big Marvel thing to captivate us in the same way Josh Brolin’s Thanos did years prior. However, that hasn’t really worked out either. After a promising scene at the end of Loki season 1 as He Who Remains, Majors’ Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania proved underwhelming at best.

A pale imitation 681c6

Majors played the role of the villain well in the movie as his performance was not at fault, but rather, the lack of anything truly interesting about the manner in which he was written. Kang more or less comes across like a generic villain who gets seemingly easily defeated by the underpowered Ant-Man and pals. True, there will perhaps be other versions of Kang coming to confront the Avengers in the future. But the anticipation has already been depleted. It was the complete opposite inverse of how Thanos was introduced.

With Thanos, he was like the shark in Jaws. You barely saw him for most of the Infinity Saga. It started with just a simple end-credit tease at the conclusion of The Avengers. After that, a couple of moments in Guardians of the Galaxy and then a single line in Avengers: Age of Ultron, “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” We really didn’t know that much about Thanos, other than his confrontation with Earth would represent the next gigantic crossover event in the franchise. However, this was a brilliant way to go about it because it kept the momentum of the Infinity Saga going and planted an air of intrigue about the villain in our minds.

Then Thanos arrived with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and completely blew our minds with how satisfying of a villain he truly was. We didn’t agree with his genocidal mission to wipe out half the universe, but we could understand his point of view. From his perspective, it was an act of mercy to end unnecessary suffering due to the universe’s limited resources.

Picking up the pieces 2j4o5m

Anyway, it’s not too late for the MCU to turn itself around. However, at this point, we should be past the relative point in the Multiverse Saga that is analogous to The Avengers. That moment was supposed to be Quantumania, but it came and went like a wet fart. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was satisfying and fun but it felt self-contained for the most part. On the TV side, Disney Plus’ Secret Invasion similarly feels rushed and unfocused with its ridiculous climax amounting to aliens scooping up the powers of other superheroes and battling each other in an eye-rolling moment.

Meanwhile, some truly great moments in the MCU are being sorely underutilized. For example, why is there not a Shang-Chi 2 slated for Phase 5? For me, 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a film I have returned to again and again for its excellent characters, unique martial arts-infused action, and strong narrative. And yet, the franchise is just sitting on the table, collecting dust. Compare that to Phase 1 when Iron Man received a sequel a mere two years after its release, and a threequel three years after that. It just seems like the MCU is wasting an opportunity.

I do have some hope for the MCU going forward, however. For one, the ongoing Loki season 2 is proving to be a welcome return to form in of quality, even if it continues to raise more questions than it answers in regard to the multiverse and how it works. The Marvels is also around the corner, for which I am strangely optimistic, too, despite the film’s November 10 release tracking relatively low at the box office by Marvel’s standards.

When it comes to Marvel movies, the issue of production budgets has proven to be an increasingly hot-button topic. The latest example of this debate can be found in reports surfacing for the forthcoming The Marvels, whose budget was recently in dispute.

While it’s basically considered par for the course for an Avengers movie to cost north of $300 million nowadays, it’s also now a standard for those films to gain over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. As a result, no one really bats an eyelash at the hefty expense for the MCU’s flagship crossover franchise.

However, with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, for instance, people have questioned its $200 million budget since it barely managed to eke out a profit at the worldwide box office and failed to impress critics or audiences. In other cases, the scrutiny comes from asking whether a Marvel movie’s budget is too low.

The highs and lows of The Marvels‘ budget saga 195d2w

With The Marvels, it was apparently misreported by Vanity Fair that the film would only have a budget of $130 million, making it $45 million lower than the first film in the franchise, Captain Marvel. This led to speculation that Disney was perhaps divesting in the series for whatever reason. However, it turned out the budget for The Marvels was much higher. As Disney later clarified (as reported by Forbes), the cost of The Marvels was actually north of $270 million but ended up netting $220 million, thanks to a U.K. tax incentive.

The Marvels‘ true budget makes a lot more sense to us, considering MCU sequels generally get more money funneled to them than the first installment. Even still, the entire discussion had us curious about looking at the entire list of Marvel movie budgets and ranking them from most to least expensive — so that’s exactly what we did, thanks to information from The Numbers.

For the purposes of our list, we are excluding The Marvels and any other MCU film that has yet to be released in theaters since the final number for those budgets could change. Bear in mind, that when multiple movies are listed as having the same budgets, we’ve considered that to be a tie for that entry in the list. With that said, here’s the entire breakdown:

1. $400 million – Avengers: Endgame (2019)
2. $365 million – Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) 
3. $300 million – Avengers: Infinity War (2018) 
4. $250 million – Captain America: Civil War (2016); Thor: Love and Thunder (2022); Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022); Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) 
5. $225 million – The Avengers (2012) 
6. $200 million – Iron Man 3 (2013); Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017); Black Panther (2018); Black Widow (2021); Eternals (2021); Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021); Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022); Ant-Man and the Qasp: Quantumania (2023) 
7. $186 million – Iron Man (2008)
8. $180 million – Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
9. $175 million – Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017); Captain Marvel (2019)
10. $170 million – Iron Man 2 (2010); Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014); Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
11. $165 million – Doctor Strange (2016)
12. $160 million – Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
13. $150 million – Thor (2011); Thor: The Dark World (2013); Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
14. $140 million – Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
15. $137.5 million – The Incredible Hulk (2008)
16. $130 million – Ant-Man (2015); Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

How will forthcoming MCU movies like The Marvels and next year’s Deadpool 3 ultimately shake out on this list after they release? Only time will tell. However, we have a feeling the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes may have an inflating impact on some of these projects in a comparable manner to the COVID-19 pandemic. With no crystal ball in site, however, we are left to only speculate.

For now, you can check out The Marvels in theaters on November 10 to decide for yourself if it lives up to that $270 million or so production value.