Marvel Studios is entering a new chapter as it recalibrates the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a franchise that’s defined blockbuster storytelling for nearly two decades.
With Phase Five drawing to a close, a course correction is becoming evident. Captain America: Brave New World (2025) recently surpassed $400 million globally, and Thunderbolts* (2025) is set to conclude the current phase. These developments point toward a creative reset as Marvel retools its interconnected universe.
The journey hasn’t been without challenges. Phase Four, which launched amid the pandemic, delivered cultural high points like Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which earned $1.953 billion, and Disney+ hits such as WandaVision. Yet the high output during that time led some fans to long for the narrative cohesion that characterized the lead-up to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
Phase Five saw mixed reactions. On one end, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) soared at the box office, propelled by the dynamic duo of Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. On the other, titles like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and *The Marvels* (2023) underperformed commercially.
Captain America: Brave New World faced obstacles, including production delays and behind-the-scenes issues, which impacted its financial viability.
Meanwhile, Thunderbolts* remained relatively low-profile until Marvel surprised fans with an A24-inspired trailer that sparked new interest. Two follow-up trailers featuring the film’s offbeat ensemble kept momentum going. But it’s the future in Phase Six that’s generating the most attention.
Leading the charge is The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), which brings Marvel’s First Family into the fold—and potentially reveals the dramatic return of Robert Downey Jr., this time not as Iron Man, but as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom in the post-credits sting.
Directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in July 2025. The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch.
Their introduction will pave the way for Avengers: Doomsday (2026), a tentpole event that reunites Earth’s Mightiest Heroes against a looming multiversal threat.
Downey Jr.’s comeback was revealed during last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, alongside the announcement that Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) directors Anthony and Joe Russo would return to helm this next cinematic chapter.
“What’s compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they’re a beginning. It’s a new beginning,” the Russo brothers told Omelete.
“So we told an ending story, now we’re going to tell a beginning story, and then who knows where we’ll go from there,” they said. “Maybe there’ll be another five years, but I think we just needed that time and perspective to figure out where it needed to go next, and the only thing that brought us back was the right story.”
This fresh direction is notable because Avengers: Doomsday and its follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), aren’t capping a saga—they’re launching a new era entirely. Phase Six appears to be Marvel’s opportunity to realign and reinvigorate its broader narrative.
Last month, Marvel pulled back the curtain on Avengers: Doomsday during a marathon livestream event, revealing an extensive ensemble cast.
Confirmed so far are Robert Downey Jr. as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/Beast, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor.
The lineup also includes Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau/Gambit, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/Falcon, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkhölme/Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing.
Also along for the ride is the eclectic team from Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts*: Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent, and Lewis Pullman as “Bob”/Sentry.
Phase Six will expand even further with 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, arriving after Avengers: Doomsday. Directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, the film sees Tom Holland reprising his role as Peter Parker. The story picks up post-No Way Home, as Peter adjusts to a world that has forgotten his identity—bringing full circle the idea that the trilogy was always meant as an extended origin arc.
In a surprising twist, Holland won’t appear in Avengers: Doomsday, according to new reports.
“According to insider Jeff Sneider, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day will take place at the same time on the MCU timeline as Avengers: Doomsday,” reported The Direct. “This marks the first time in MCU history that events in two movies have occurred concurrently.”
This concurrent timeline means Holland’s next Avengers appearance won’t be until Secret Wars in 2027. The report adds, “Sneider also told fans not to expect Tom Holland to appear in Doomsday as Spider-Man. This is partially due to Holland being busy filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which could also keep multiple other MCU stars out of Doomsday.”
Speaking to CinemaCon 2025 attendees via video, Holland shared via Variety: “I am so sorry I can’t be with you. I am halfway around the world shooting a movie. I know we left you with a massive clip hanger at the end of No Way Home, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a fresh start. It is exactly that. That’s all I can say.”
There’s also speculation that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will appear in Brand New Day as a Multiversal version of Mary Jane Watson—a casting choice that ties in with the central themes of the 2008 comic arc of the same name.
With Phase Six shaping up as a reset rather than a finale, Marvel Studios is setting the stage for a reimagined MCU, anchored by the return of core heroes and the evolution of key narratives. As Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day unfold side by side, the studio is redefining what long-form cinematic storytelling looks like.
What are your thoughts on this reported bold dual-timeline strategy for Doomsday and Brand New Day? Let us know in the comments!
