Every MCU Sequel Marvel’s Already Set Up, Ranked By How Likely They Are To Happen

From the beginning, Marvel Studios has always kept one eye on the future, exciting fans with teases of what’s to come in their cinematic universe. Maintaining a sprawling, interconnected franchise is no easy task, so Kevin Feige and Co. like to plan ahead as far as they can to ensure everything is order. Part of this involves laying the groundwork for future developments in their movies — whether it’s a post-credits stinger teasing the launch of the Avengers Initiative or Doctor Doom’s arrival at the end of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. For nearly two decades, Marvel fans have been trained to be on the lookout for sequel teases in the movie or show they’re currently watching.

Of course, even the best-laid plans don’t always pan out. Even Marvel has had to move things around, scrapping previously announced films. In the Multiverse Saga, fans have learned that just because something is teased doesn’t mean it will be followed through on. There are several post-credits scenes in recent years hinting at developments that will probably never come to fruition (despite high-profile actors popping up). With that in mind, we’re taking a look at the MCU sequels that have been set up, ranking them by how likely they are to actually happen.

8) Eternals 2

Released in 2021, Eternals was one of the first films in the Multiverse Saga, introducing audiences to a whole new team of superheroes. With Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao at the helm, expectations were high for the project, especially considering Marvel’s track record of building successful films around large ensemble casts. Unfortunately, Eternals didn’t turn out as well as everyone hoped, becoming the first MCU movie to receive a rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The reception probably caught Marvel off guard, as there were threads left open for a sequel. Eternals ends with Arishem angrily taking Sersi, Kingo, and Phastos into a singularity so he can determine if humans are worth keeping alive. The post-credits scene introduced Eros, brother of Thanos, which could have been another storyline for a sequel.

Despite that setup, the odds of Eternals 2 happening are extremely low, which is why it’s at the bottom of our list. In 2024, none other than Feige noted that “there are no immediate plans for Eternals 2,” which basically kills any hope the sequel gets off the ground. If Eternals had earned stronger reviews and became a new fan-favorite entry in the MCU, then Marvel would probably have already brought these character back by now. Instead, none of the Eternals stars have been confirmed for a return (despite there being considerable plans for the heroes). The closest we may ever get to an Eternals follow-up is Captain America: Brave New World, which incorporates “Celestial Island.”

7) Shang-Chi 2

Opening a couple of months before Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings got the new era of Marvel movies off to a strong start, impressing critics with its thrilling action scenes and strong performances. Star Simu Liu’s titular hero seemed poised to become one of the new faces of the MCU, especially following a post-credits scene that introduced Shang-Chi to the likes of Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers. After Shang-Chi grossed $432.2 million worldwide during the pandemic, a sequel seemed like a safe bet. One has been in the works for a while, but it’s yet to come to fruition. And at this point, it’s worth wondering if it ever will.

Some of Shang-Chi 2‘s delayed development stems from director Destin Daniel Cretton’s availability; the filmmaker has kept himself busy with other MCU projects, like the TV series Wonder Man and this summer’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Still, Shang-Chi 2 remains without a release date. Cretton has maintained the sequel isn’t cancelled, and it was one of the projects mentioned in a recent report detailing Marvel’s post-Avengers: Secret Wars movies. Those are encouraging signs, but whether or not Marvel actually moves forward with it could depend on how the character of Shang-Chi is received in Avengers: Doomsday and (presumably) Secret Wars. Will audiences still be excited to see him, or has the iron become too cold?

6) Thunderbolts* 2

Captain America: Brave New World was a very underwhelming start to Marvel’s 2025, but the franchise seemed poised for a rebound with Thunderbolts*. The film earned positive reviews, with many praising its emotional story, powerful themes, and strong performances. Marvel was so impressed with Thunderbolts* that director Jake Schreier was handed the keys to the X-Men kingdom, but all that positive press didn’t make a difference at the box office. Thunderbolts* underperformed, grossing $382.4 million worldwide against a budget of $180 million.

That commercial performance is why it was surprising to hear Thunderbolts* 2 is in the works at Marvel, part of the studio’s post-Secret Wars plan. Similar to Shang-Chi 2, the ultimate fate of Thunderbolts* 2 could come down to audiences’ response to the characters in Doomsday. The New Avengers are one of many superhero teams that’ll be featured in the film, and if they leave a strong impression on viewers, Marvel will feel confident about pushing ahead with a standalone sequel. In the Infinity Saga days, second solo films for Captain America and Thor got a post-Avengers boost, so Marvel could be hoping for the same here. However, if the New Avengers underwhelm in Doomsday, Thunderbolts* 2 could struggle to get off the ground as the MCU goes through a soft reset.

5) The Fantastic Four: First Steps 2

As we’ve documented, Marvel had an uneven year at the box office in 2025. Their high mark came with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the long-awaited MCU reboot for Marvel’s First Family. It was the highest-grossing Marvel movie last year, bringing in $521.8 million worldwide. That’s probably a little less than what Marvel was hoping for (First Steps suffered a steep drop in its second weekend), but it was still successful enough to set the Fantastic Four up for a future in the franchise. We’ve known they’ll appear in the next two Avengers movies, but there are also reports that Marvel is working on a Fantastic Four sequel.

Assuming all members of the Fantastic Four make it out of Secret Wars alive, First Steps‘ box office performance gives it an edge over other titles on this list. In an age where comic book movies are not as big of a draw as they used to be, Marvel would be smart to capitalize on audiences’ interest in this iteration of the Fantastic Four. Only two Phase 5 movies (of six total) earned more worldwide than First Steps: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the finale to one of Marvel’s most beloved sub-franchises; and Deadpool & Wolverine, a nostalgia-loaded event headlined by two of the most popular superheroes in the world. Marvel will be on the hunt for easy wins post-Secret Wars, so bringing the Fantastic Four back makes a lot of sense.

4) Doctor Strange 3

Doctor Strange 3 is reportedly on the back burner for the time being, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see it get off the ground sooner rather than later. Since his introduction in his debut film a decade ago, Doctor Strange has become one of the most prominent characters in the MCU, appearing in multiple Avengers movies, a Spider-Man sequel, and his own solo sequel. That follow-up, 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is one of Marvel’s biggest post-Endgame movies, grossing $955.7 million worldwide. It’s surprising that Doctor Strange 3 hasn’t happened already, but it seems like a lock for Phase 7.

Though Marvel hasn’t officially announced Doctor Strange 3, it was only last year that star Benedict Cumberbatch revealed Marvel has been working closely with him on the threequel. “Who do you want to write and direct the next one? What part of the comic lore do you want to explore so that Strange can keep evolving?” are conversations the studio has been having with the actor. It sounds like there’s still some work to do behind the scenes before Doctor Strange 3 can move ahead into pre-production, but Marvel seems committed to making the film a reality, leaning heavily on Cumberbatch’s expertise to help steer it to the screen. Considering Strange’s presence in the MCU, it would be quite a surprise if Doctor Strange 3 never happened.

3) Thor 5

Avengers: Doomsday marketing is setting the stage for an emotional arc for Thor, who returns to action once more for the sake of his adopted daughter Love. One way to read the teaser is that it’s preparing audiences for Thor’s death at the hands of Doctor Doom, but based on comments made by Chris Hemsworth, the God of Thunder is not about to meet his demise. Earlier this year, he mentioned he has been having conversations with Kevin Feige about Thor’s future in the MCU, notably saying that he plans to reprise the role a “couple more times” before he has any thoughts about hanging up the hammer for good. So, while Thor 5 has not been officially announced, it seems all but a guarantee it’s going to happen (unless Hemsworth is trying to misdirect fans by teasing further installments).

Thor is one of the few Original Avengers still active in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and remains a beloved, popular character. Although opinions on the solo Thor movies vary, fans have never had any issue with Hemsworth in the role and would love to see him return for another standalone outing. Sooner or later, Marvel is going to have to move past the old Infinity Saga guard and turn the page to a new era, but as the franchise resets itself following Secret Wars, one more adventure with Thor, giving the character a proper send off, could be a nice project for Phase 7.

2) Black Panther 3

Of all the films on this list, Black Panther 3 is arguably the one that’s the closest to actually happening. The latest reports indicate that it will enter pre-production later this year, perhaps putting it on track to secure one of Marvel’s 2028 release dates, which would make it one of the first MCU films to hit theaters after Avengers: Secret Wars. Ryan Coogler, fresh off his Oscar win for Sinners, has also confirmed that Black Panther 3 is his next film. The hope is that Denzel Washington will have a role, though no casting has been officially confirmed yet. Things have been moving along smoothly on the Black Panther 3 front.

At this point, it would take something incredible for Black Panther 3 to not happen. This is one of Marvel’s biggest and most important sub-franchises. The first film was a record-breaking phenomenon that permeated through the zeitgeist and transcended its genre. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever wasn’t quite as acclaimed (which would have been a high bar to clear), but it was still well-received and brought in $859.2 million at the worldwide box office. When you add in the success of Sinners, Marvel has every reason to continue being in the Ryan Coogler business, and the director will have the opportunity to conclude his superhero trilogy.

1) Spider-Man 5

Consider Black Panther 3 and Spider-Man 5 tied as the most likely MCU sequels to happen. Like a few entries on this list, Spider-Man 5 hasn’t been formally announced or dated yet, but there’s no way Marvel is going to pull the plug on this franchise after this summer’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Earning over $40 million domestically from pre-sales alone, Brand New Day is poised to be one of the biggest box office hits of the year. Tracking indicates it could gross $250 million domestically just in its opening weekend alone. The superhero genre is in a very different place now than it was in the 2010s, when B- and C-list characters could headline blockbuster films. More and more, the A-list superheroes are cementing themselves as the safest box office bets.

There aren’t many (if any) superheroes who are higher on the A-list than Spider-Man. The MCU’s next saga is seemingly going to revolve around mutants and the X-Men, but fans should expect Spidey to stick around. Star Tom Holland has excitedly been tossing out ideas for future installments, including a recurring partnership with the Punisher and the eventual emergence of Miles Morales. He wants to be a mentor figure to the next Spider-Man actor, similar to what Robert Downey Jr. was to him. There’s no way Marvel is going to pass on a film about Holland’s Peter Parker taking a young hero under his wing.

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