After a year without Marvel movies, fans arereadyfor everything the MCU has to offer in 2021. From Disney+ shows likeWandaVisionto films likeEternals, there’s a lot of exciting stuff on the docket this year, and much more where that came from in the years ahead with films likeThor: Love and Thunderand a brand new MCU adaptation ofFantastic Four. It’s always fascinating to know that, while we sit here right now with some knowledge about what’s on the horizon for the MCU, the folks at Marvel Studios are quietly working on many more projects that are under wraps at the moment.
For example, the massive and eventfulAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgamesaga were first hatchedback in 2014, when audiences were first being introduced toGuardians of the Galaxy.
So when Collider’s own Steve Weintraub spoke with Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feigerecently at the press day forWandaVision– which premieres on Disney+ January 15th – he asked Feige how far out Marvel has planned its upcoming movies and TV shows.
“To varying degrees of specificity, it’s always about 5 to 6 years out versus what we’ve announced. So whatever that takes us to.”
So right now, at this very moment, the folks at Marvel Studios are noodling around on ideas that will become films or Disney+ shows in 2025 and 2026. Obviously a big part of Marvel’s success is their willingness to be flexible, so this isn’t to say these plans are set in stone. But they do have some idea of what the next five or six years will be in terms of MCU content.
A cornerstone of that is undoubtedly the introduction of mutants to the MCU. Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox finally brought theX-Mencomics under the purview of Marvel Studios, and now Feige and Co. get to figure out how to introduce the notion ofX-Menand mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Previously they were constrained, as Fox owned the license to all mutant-related material and thus Disney and Marvel Studios weren’t allowed to so much as utter the word “mutant” in an MCU movie. Now, everything is on the table.
We asked Feige if they’ve figured out how they’re bringing mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet, and he seemed to imply the introduction of mutants is very much on the table in the next few years:
“It has been heavily discussed, as you might imagine. And we have a good feeling of where it’s going and when it’s going, but that all remains to be seen.”
It’s not like we don’t already have plenty to look forward to with all of Marvel’s upcoming movies and TV shows, but given the studio’s stellar track record, fans can’t wait to see what they do with mutants and the X-Men. Have patience, folks. It’s coming.
In the meantime, the first new MCU story in over a year arrives this Friday when the first two episodes ofWandaVisionpremiere exclusively on Disney+.
