Everything Planned for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2018

Marvel fans are going to have a packed calendar in 2018.

With the new year only hours away, we’re looking ahead to 2018. We’ve compiled everything happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the coming year.

In 2017, Marvel Studios released three movies. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor: Ragnarok were all box office hits.

Marvel Television continued to put out some of the best episodes of Agents of SHIELD. Inhumans debuted on ABC. Iron Fist debuted on Netflix. The Defenders finally came together, and the Punisher got his spinoff.

Despite all that, 2018 may be the MCU’s biggest year yet.

Some of it is already happening. Marvel Television has two weekly television shows that will continue in the new year. Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD continues its fifth season on ABC. Marvel’s Runaways continues its first season on Hulu.

But the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have plenty to feed your binge craving as well. Marvel Television will release three new seasons of its gritty Netflix shows in 2018. That’s 39 binge-able episodes released throughout the year.

The year won’t only be about returning favorites for Marvel. Marvel Television has two new television shows in the works. Cloak and Dagger will target the teen demographic and find a home on Freeform. New Warriors is Marvel’s first attempt at straight comedy, and its still searching for a home.

And then there are the Marvel Studios movies. Marvel Studios will kick the year off by bringing the world of Wakanda to the big screen in Black Panther. Then a movie a decade in the making as Thanos finally arrives on Earth in Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel Studios will end things on a lighter note with a sequel to its “smallest” movie to date, Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Keep reading to see everything the Marvel Cinematic Universe has in store for 2018.

Runaways

Most of the first season of Marvel’s Runaways on Hulu released in 2017. Two episodes still remain to ring in the new year.

The penultimate episode of the season, “Doomsday,” will become available on January 2nd. The season finale, “Hostile,” will be released on January 9th.

Last week’s episode of Marvel’s Runaways, “Tsunami,” ended the year on a cliffhanger. The kids are starting to put together the truth about the death of Amy Minoru.

Marvel’s Runaways has proved to be a hit with fans and critics alike. That said, fans are still waiting for news of a second season pickup.

[Embed id=998044]Marvel’s Runaways (TVShow: runaways-tvshow)[/Embed]

Agents of SHIELD

Agents of SHIELD is still in the midst of its fifth season, which has had fans on the edges of their seats.

This season finds Coulson and the SHIELD team sent into the future. In this era, the Earth has been destroyed. The remnants of humanity now live in a strange bunker embedded in the debris.

The Kree who rule over the humans is anything but a benevolent dictator. Kasius, the Kree in charge, is breeding and selling Inhumans for profit. Ultimately, he plans to destroy the place once he’s made enough money to move on.

Fitz finally caught up with his friends in the future. With the show’s 100th episode on the horizon, there’s still plenty to more to come for Agents of SHIELD in 2018.

[Embed id=35451]Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TVShow: marvels-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-)[/Embed]

Black Panther

The next Marvel Studios film will be the first headline by a black hero. Black Panther is an appropriate character for that distinction. He was the first black superhero in mainstream American comics.

Chadwick Boseman plays the king of Wakanda in the film. Boseman debuted as T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War in 2016. Ryan Coogler directs the film.

In Black Panther, T’Challa is king of Wakanda after his father’s death. Wakanda is unsure about their untested new ruler. To make matters worse, two villains come calling. Ulysses Klaue wants to get his hands on the hidden resources of Wakanda. Erik Killmonger’s motivations are more personal.

Black Panther opens in theaters on February 16, 2018.

[Embed id=27705]Black Panther (ComicMovie: black-panther)[/Embed]

Cloak and Dagger

Cloak and Dagger is the first Marvel Television project set for Freeform. The series stars Olivia Holt as Dagger and Aubrey Joseph as Cloak. Both characters are teens who come to have mysterious powers.

Bill Mantlo and Ed Hannigan created Cloak and Dagger. They first appeared in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #65 in 1982.

Cloak and Dagger were runaways taken in by drug lords. The criminals tested an experimental new drug on several children. Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson were the only two to survive.

Tandy and Ty’s physiologies interacted with the drug in a way that unlocked their new powers. The duo uses those powers to haunt the underworld.

Cloak and Dagger‘s first season will run for 10 episodes.

[Embed id=1026461]Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger (TVShow: marvels-cloak-dagger)[/Embed]

Jessica Jones, Season 2

Jessica Jones returns for a second season on Netflix. The new season debuts on March 8th.

Krysten Ritter returns as the acerbic, superpowered private investigator. Last season, Jessica took out Kilgrave, her former tormentor. This season she has to deal with moving on.

That said, David Tennant will also return as Kilgrave. Whether this means the villain is back from the dea or a voice in Jessica’s head remains unclear.

Jessica was last seen in Marvel’s The Defenders. She teamed up with Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist to defeat the Hand. During the team up, Jessica befriended Matt Murdock. Unfortunately, she believes Daredevil died in the show’s final battle.

[Embed id=37434]Jessica Jones (TVShow: jessica-jones)[/Embed]

Avengers: Infinity War

Marvel Studios will release the most-anticipated movie of the year, Avengers: Infinity War.

Joe and Anthony Russo directed the third Avengers movie. The Russos also directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.

The film will see the Avengers reassemble. It won’t only be the original group this time. Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Black Widow, Thor, and Hawkeye will all appear in the film. Scarlet Witch and Vision return as well. New additions Doctor Strange and Black Panther will also join the group.

On top of all that, the film will also feature the Guardians of the Galaxy. That’s a lot of heroes, but its necessary to stand up to Thanos and the Black Order.

Avengers: Infinity War opens May 4th.

[Embed id=46601]Avengers: Infinity War (ComicMovie: avengers-infinity-war-part-i)[/Embed]

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Marvel Studios will follow Avengers: Infinity War with a smaller movie (pun intended).

Ant-Man and the Wasp is the sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man. Paul Rudd returns in the role of Scott Lang. Evangeline Lilly’s Hope Van Dyne gets her name in the title and bumped up to co-lead.

Michael Douglas also returns as the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym. Michelle Pfeiffer will make her debut as the original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne. Janet disappeared into the Microverse during a mission in the 1980s.

Ant-Man director Payton Reed directs the sequel.

Ant-Man and the Wasp opens in theaters July 6th.

[Embed id=53249]Ant-Man and the Wasp (ComicMovie: ant-man-and-the-wasp)[/Embed]

Luke Cage, Season 2

Luke Cage will return to Netflix in 2018.

Luke will be hot off of his appearance in Marvel’s The Defenders. After saving New York City from the Hand, Luke Cage is back defending the streets of Harlem.

He’s made a new friend along the way. Finn Jones will guest star as Danny Rand, the Iron Fist, after the Heroes for Hire met in The Defenders.

Simone Missick is also back in season two. This time, Missick’s Misty Knight has her signature bionic arm from the comics. The advanced prosthetic replaces the arm she lost in Marvel’s The Defenders.

[Embed id=28779]Luke Cage (TVShow: luke-cage)[/Embed]

Daredevil, Season 3

Daredevil is the third Marvel series returning to Netflix in 2018.

The new season of Marvel’s Daredevil will pick up where Marvel’s The Defenders left off. Daredevil appeared to die fighting Elektra and stopping the Hand. Fans know that he later awoke in a convent.

Fans of Daredevil comics may know that Matt Murdock’s mother became a nun. Perhaps she’ll make her debut in the show’s third season.

There have been some hints that “Born Again” is the inspiration for Daredevil Season Three. “Born Again” is a Marvel classic by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. The story brought Daredevil to his lowest and built him back up again. It also pits Daredevil against Nuke, a villain introduced to the MCU in Jessica Jones.

Charlie Cox returns as Matt Murdock. Vincent D’Onofrio is also confirmed to return as the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk.

[Embed id=27727]Daredevil (TVShow: daredevil)[/Embed]

New Warriors

New Warriors is the first comedy series from Marvel Television.

Marvel Television and ABC Studios developed New Warriors in the half-hour sitcom format. The series will follow a team of misfit heroes. The cast of characters includes Night Thrasher, Speedball, Microbe, and Debrii. The team is also joined by Mister Immortal, a Great Lakes Avengers in the comics, and Squirrel Girl.

Freeform ordered 10 episodes of New Warriors. Marvel and ABC later announced New Warriors would not air on Freeform after all. The series is being shopped around for a new home. It may end up on Disney’s in-development streaming service.

[Embed id=1060377]Marvel’s New Warriors (TVShow: marvel-s-new-warriors-)[/Embed]