Marvel’s Phase 7 and Beyond: Can the MCU Rekindle Its Magic?

Several MCU movies have already started to come into view for a potential Phase 7 release. As of this writing, the last officially dated MCU movie with a title on the Marvel Studios slate is Avengers: Secret Wars (coming May 7, 2027); however, that does not mean the franchise will come to an end with the upcoming Multiversal mega-blockbuster.

With several projects being discussed at Marvel Studios, a few names have started to be repeated as potential Phase 7 titles, coming after Secret Wars‘ 2027 release date.

According to the breathless reporting at The Direct, they think best bets for four films that will occupy what will become Phase 7 are: The long-awaited BLADE movie; BLACK PANTHER 3; Marvel Studios’ first full-scale X-MEN movie; and the anticipated SHANG-CHI 2. 

Op-Ed: After 35 Marvel Movies & Six Batmans, the World Needs a Break from Superhero Films

But what isn’t being reported is how many long-time MCU fans are growing less excited about the upcoming “Phase 7” movies due to fatigue from the Multiverse Saga, which has been a dominant theme since Phase 4. Marvel’s extensive exploration of multiverse storylines may leave some viewers feeling overwhelmed or simply bored of this concept by the time Phase 7 arrives. Additionally, delays and production issues with certain projects, such as “Blade,” have created uncertainty and dampened enthusiasm.

The oversaturation of all this superhero content is another factor contributing to decreased excitement. With a whopping 35 movies and a dozen TV shows so far, attracting new fans may be a challenge as noobs might feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content they need to keep up with. After nearly two decades of MCU content, some viewers may simply be experiencing general superhero fatigue. Despite these concerns, Marvel Studios continues to churn out the projects, hoping to maintain fan engagement and excitement for upcoming projects.

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