Although the MCU’s jam-packed Phase 4 slate takes us through to 2022 and includes the likes of The Eternals, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love and Thunder, this is only the beginning of what’s coming in a post-Avengers: Endgame world.
The MCU is known for standalone sequels for some of its biggest names, meaning the likes of Iron Man and Captain America carved out their own trilogies before they bowed out of the world’s highest-grossing franchise. Now, it looks like Black Panther 2 and a possible Ant-Man 3are shuffling closer.
Posting on Twitter, Marvel ‘insider’ “Charles Murphy” shared an updated slate of Disney movies and highlights Black Panther 2 for May 6, 2022 and Ant-Man 3 for July 22, 2022. We already knew Ryan Coolger would be back to helm Black Panther 2, although the sequel was mysteriously missing from the Phase 4 slate.
Considering the first movie became the second highest-grossing movie of 2018 (behind Avengers: Infinity War), it’s no surprise Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has fast-tracked Black Panther 2 into production.
The movie’s plot is still shrouded in speculation, but early reports suggest Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger could be back in some form and take on Chadwick Boseman’s titular hero with the introduction of fan-favourite villain Kraven the Hunter.
As for Ant-Man 3, it’s a pretty out-there piece of news. Both Peyton Reed’s 2015 Ant-Man and the 2018 sequel both performed well but are some of the franchise’s least memorable outings. That being said, Paul Rudd was a frankly brilliant addition to the revamped Avengers roster for Endgame and became an integral part of the movie’s time heist.
Only recently, Feige spoke to The New York Times and teased a possible Phase 5 return for Ant-Man 3. He cryptically told the site, “The chess pieces were arranged very purposefully after Endgame. Those that are off the board are off, and those that are still on, you never know.”
Elsewhere, there are still a few missing gaps that need to be filled. One fan guessed the blank February 2022 movie could be something relating to the Fantastic Four, while the use of a shocked emoji for the missing May 2024 movie definitely hints at something big. Could this be the return of a fully-fledged Avengers movie and possibly bring the X-Men into the fold?
As ever, all of these rumours should be taken with a pinch of salt and we’ll have to wait and see what Feige has up his sleeve.
[Featured Image: Disney]