Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Four
Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films and television series produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Phase Four features all of the Marvel Studios productions set to be released from 2021 through 2023. It is the first phase in the franchise to include television series, with Marvel Studios developing several event series for the streaming service Disney+ in addition to the feature films that it was already set to produce. Phase Four began with the series "WandaVision", which premiered  in January 2021, while the first theatrical film in this phase is "Black Widow", which was released in July 2021 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The release schedule of Phase Four was changed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin Feige produces every film and executive produces every series in this phase, alongside producers Jonathan Schwartz for "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", Nate Moore for "Eternals", Amy Pascal for "", and Brad Winderbaum for "". The films of this phase include "Black Widow" with Scarlett Johansson returning as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, "Shang-Chi and the  Legend of the Ten Rings" starring Simu Liu, the ensemble "Eternals", the sequels "Spider-Man: No Way Home" from Sony Pictures Releasing with Tom Holland returning as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" with Benedict Cumberbatch returning as Dr. Stephen Strange, "Thor: Love and Thunder" with Chris Hemsworth returning as Thor, "", "" starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, the ensemble "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3", and "The Marvels" starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, along with "Fantastic Four". The Disney+ television series of this phase include "WandaVision" with Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany  in the title roles, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" with Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan in the title roles, the first season of "Loki" starring Tom Hiddleston, the first and second seasons of the animated "What If...?" narrated by Jeffrey Wright, "Hawkeye" starring Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld, "Moon Knight" starring Oscar Isaac, "Ms. Marvel" starring Iman Vellani, "She-Hulk" starring Tatiana Maslany, "Secret Invasion" starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, "Ironheart" starring Dominique Thorne, "Armor Wars" starring Don Cheadle, and a series set in Wakanda starring Danai Gurira. The untitled Halloween special starring Gael García Bernal, the  ensemble "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special", and the series of short films "I Am Groot" will also be included in this phase. Development. By October 2016, The Walt Disney Studios had scheduled multiple release dates for untitled Marvel Studios films for 2020 and 2021. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said some of the films for those dates were already known, explaining, "We know what [films] we'd like them to be for 2020. Over the years, where we're aiming we've been lucky enough that it's usually been the same thing but we always leave ourselves  the opportunity to bob and weave and adapt if we have to." Feige was not sure if Marvel would continue to group the films of the MCU into phases once concluded in 2019, saying that "it might be a new thing", but by December 2018, Marvel was believed to be using the term Phase Four. Feige said Marvel hoped to reveal some upcoming films after the release of "" (2019), with The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger later indicating that Marvel would reveal its slate of post-"Avengers: Endgame" films in mid-2019. By November 2017, Disney was developing a Marvel television  series specifically for release on its new streaming service Disney+, which was planned to launch before the end of 2019. In September 2018, Marvel Studios was revealed to be developing several limited series for the service, to be centered on "second-tier" characters from the MCU films who had not and were unlikely to star in their own films; the actors who portrayed the characters in the films were expected to reprise their roles for the series. Stories for each series were still being decided on, but the series were expected to be six to eight episodes each and have  a "hefty [budget] rivaling those of a major studio production". The series would be produced by Marvel Studios rather than Marvel Television, which produced the previous television series set in the MCU. Feige was taking a "hands-on role" in each series' development, focusing on "continuity of story" with the films and "handling" the actors who would be reprising their roles from the films. Feige stated in February 2019 that the series would be "entirely interwoven with both the current MCU, the past MCU, and the future of the MCU", and a month later he elaborated that the series would  take characters from the films, change them, and see those changes reflected in future films, unlike the weaker relationship the films have with the Marvel Television series. He also said that new characters introduced in the Disney+ series could go on to appear in films. In May, Feige compared the Disney+ series to the Marvel One-Shots short films that Marvel Studios had previously released alongside their films, saying, "The best thing about the One-Shots is that we got to flesh out other characters. It's tremendously exciting that we now have Disney+ series where we get to do  that on a grand scale". In July 2019, Marvel Studios held a panel at San Diego Comic-Con where Feige announced the full Phase Four slate. This included five films to be released—"Black Widow", "Eternals", "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness", and ""—as well as five event series to be released on Disney+—"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier", "WandaVision", "Loki", "What If...?", and "Hawkeye". He confirmed that there would be connections between the films and series, with the events of "WandaVision" directly setting up "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of  Madness" and "Loki" tying into it. Feige stated that these ten projects were the full Phase Four slate at that point, despite Marvel already developing further projects at that time, such as the long-in-development "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3", sequels to "Black Panther" (2018) and "Captain Marvel" (2019), and a film based on the Fantastic Four. Feige also noted that the studio had films scheduled to be released after 2021 which would not be officially announced or given release dates at that time. A month later at D23, Feige announced three more Disney+ series that would be  released as part of the Phase Four slate: "Ms. Marvel", "Moon Knight", and "She-Hulk", as well as the "Black Panther" sequel with the placeholder title "Black Panther II" and a May 6, 2022 release. In September, Disney and Sony Pictures announced that Marvel Studios and Feige would return to produce "", set for release during this phase, while an "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018) sequel entered development by November 2019, having a potential 2022 release. Development work on a second season of "What If...?" had begun by December 2019. "Black Widow" was removed from Disney's release schedule in  March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussing this decision for "Variety", Adam B. Vary and Matt Donnelly questioned whether the MCU could be impacted more by this delay than other big properties due to the interconnected nature of the franchise, though a Marvel Studios source told the pair that changing "Black Widow" release date would not affect the rest of the MCU timeline. In April, Disney changed its entire Phase Four release slate, scheduling "Black Widow" when "Eternals" had been set for release in November 2020 and moving all its other Phase Four films back in the schedule to  accommodate this. Disney also scheduled "Captain Marvel 2" for release on July 8, 2022. Later that month, Sony delayed "Spider-Man: No Way Home" to November 2021, resulting in Disney adjusting the release of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and "Thor: Love and Thunder". In July 2020, Disney confirmed that "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" would not release in August 2020 as planned, because the series had not completed filming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while Sony pushed back the release of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" to December 2021. In early September, "WandaVision" was set to  be the first television series released for the phase as "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" release was pushed back to 2021 due to its production delays. Later that month, "Black Widow" release was delayed to May 2021, resulting in "Eternals" and "Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings" also being rescheduled; this made 2020 the first year since 2009 without a Marvel Studios release. When adjusting the release of the films and series in the phase, Marvel Studios was being cognizant to ensure major story points would not be spoiled with the new release order, but Feige  noted many of the properties in the Phase were mostly standalone or a continuation from "Endgame". He also credited the studio's "long lead plan" for being able to avoid any creative shifts to their Phase Four plans because of the pandemic, only shuffling release dates and production schedules. Additionally, he stated that many of the series had their release dates shifted only "by a matter of weeks" from their original dates. The only significant aspect of the phase that was affected by the pandemic was Julia Louis-Dreyfus's introduction as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, which came in "The  Falcon and the Winter Soldier" rather than "Black Widow" as was originally planned, since "Black Widow" ended up being released after the series. In December 2020, Marvel Studios adjusted "Thor: Love and Thunder", "Black Panther II", and "Captain Marvel 2" back in its schedule, to May 6, July 8, and November 11, 2022, respectively, and dated "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" for 2023. They also announced "" and "Fantastic Four" were in development, along with the Disney+ series "Secret Invasion", "Ironheart", and "Armor Wars", "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special", and the series of short films "I Am Groot . Feige indicated Secret Invasion" and "Ironheart" would tie-in with future MCU films. These new Disney+ series, plus "Black Panther II", "Captain Marvel 2", "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania", "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3", and "Fantastic Four" were confirmed to be part of Phase Four. In February 2021, a drama series set in Wakanda for the phase was revealed to be in development from Ryan Coogler, writer and director of "Black Panther" and its sequel, through his company Proximity Media. The following month, Disney moved "Black Widow" to July 2021 (taking the spot of "Shang-Chi and the  Legend of the Ten Rings"), and announced that it would release simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" was moved to September 2021, with the intent for a theatrical-only release. In May, Marvel Studios announced the titles for the "Black Panther" and "Captain Marvel" sequels as "" and "The Marvels", respectively, as well as the respective February 17 and May 5, 2023 releases dates for "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3". Feige described the phase as being about "continuing in new ways  and... leaving the Infinity Saga behind [for] a new beginning". By August 2021, a Halloween-themed television special for Disney+ was in development, reportedly centered on Werewolf by Night. In October 2021, Marvel Studios further adjusted "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness", "Thor: Love and Thunder", and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" to May 6, July 8, and November 11, 2022, respectively, while moving "The Marvels" to February 17, 2023, and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" to July 28, 2023, because of production-related issues. In April 2022, Marvel Studios swapped the release dates of "Ant-Man and the  Wasp: Quantumania" and "The Marvels", given "Quantumania" was further along in production than "The Marvels". Marvel Studios has reserved November 3, 2023, as well as February 16, May 3, July 26, and November 8, 2024 for films. Films. Section::::"Black Widow" (2021). Natasha Romanoff finds herself alone and forced to confront a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Romanoff must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. After exploring the backstory of Scarlett  Johansson's character Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow in "" (2015), Kevin Feige expressed interest in further exploring it in a solo film. By January 2018, Jac Schaeffer was hired to write the script, with Cate Shortland hired to direct that July. Ned Benson was rewriting the script the next February. Schaeffer and Benson received story credit on the film, with Eric Pearson credited for the screenplay. Filming began in May 2019 and concluded that October, shooting in Norway, the United Kingdom, Budapest, Morocco, and Georgia. "Black Widow" premiered on June 29, 2021 at various red carpet fan events in London, Los  Angeles, Melbourne, and New York City, and was released in the United States on July 9, 2021, in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. "Black Widow" is set in 2016, mostly taking place between the main plot of "" (2016) and its final scene. William Hurt reprises his role as Thaddeus Ross from previous MCU films. "Black Widow" post-credits scene features Julia Louis-Dreyfus, uncredited, as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine from the series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (2021), and sets up Florence Pugh's appearance in the series "Hawkeye" (2021) as Yelena Belova. Jeremy Renner has an  uncredited voice cameo in his MCU role of Clint Barton / Hawkeye, while a picture of him is also featured. Section::::"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" (2021). When Shang-Chi is drawn into the clandestine Ten Rings organization, he is forced to confront the past he thought he left behind. By December 2018, Marvel Studios was actively developing their first Asian-led film for Shang-Chi, with Dave Callaham hired to write the screenplay, and Destin Daniel Cretton to direct by March 2019. At the San Diego Comic-Con that July, Simu Liu was revealed to play the  title role, along with Tony Leung as Wenwu. Filming began in February 2020, but was halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in August and concluded that October. Shooting occurred in Australia and San Francisco. In April 2021, Cretton was revealed as a credited writer along with Callaham and Andrew Lanham. "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" premiered in Los Angeles on August 16, 2021, and was released in the United States on September 3, 2021. "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is set after the events of "" (2019). Benedict Wong  reprises his role as Wong from previous MCU films, along with Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, an impostor posing as the Mandarin, from "Iron Man 3" (2013) and the Marvel One-Shot "All Hail the King" (2014). The Ten Rings organization has been featured or referenced in "Iron Man" (2008), "Iron Man 2" (2010), "All Hail the King", and "Ant-Man" (2015). Tim Roth also provided uncredited vocals for Emil Blonsky / Abomination, reprising the role from "The Incredible Hulk" (2008), while the mid-credits scene features Mark Ruffalo and Brie Larson, uncredited, in their respective MCU roles of Bruce Banner  and Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel. Section::::"Eternals" (2021). After the return of half the population ignites "the emergence", the Eternals—an immortal alien race created by the Celestials who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7,000 years—reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants. By early 2018, Marvel Studios was developing a film for the Eternals, with Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo writing the script to focus on a love story between the characters Sersi and Ikaris. Late that September, Chloé Zhao was hired to direct "The Eternals", and also served as the film's credited writer  along with Patrick Burleigh and the Firpos. Filming occurred from July 2019 to February 2020, shooting throughout England. The main cast, headlined by Richard Madden as Ikaris and Angelina Jolie as Thena, was announced at the July 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, with Gemma Chan cast as Sersi the next month. The title was shortened in August 2020. "Eternals" premiered in Los Angeles on October 18, 2021, and was released in the United States on November 5. "Eternals" takes place around the same time as "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and "" (2019), six to eight months after "Avengers: Endgame  in 2024. The mid-credits scene features Harry Styles as Thanos' brother Eros / Starfox and Patton Oswalt as Pip the Troll, while Mahershala Ali has an uncredited cameo as the voice of Blade in the post-credits scene, before starring in the film Blade". Section::::"Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021). Peter Parker's life and reputation are turned upside down following his identity being exposed at the hands of Mysterio. Seeking help from Stephen Strange to try and fix everything, things soon become much more dangerous when the multiverse breaks open, allowing villains from alternate realities who have previously fought  versions of Spider-Man to arrive. A third MCU "Spider-Man" film was planned by early 2017 to be set during Peter Parker's senior year of high school, with Feige later saying it would tell "a Peter Parker story" not previously done on film due to the mid-credits scene in "Spider-Man: Far From Home". By August 2019, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers were writing the script while Disney and Sony split on adjusting their agreement over Marvel Studios' involvement in Spider-Man films, but announced the next month they would co-produce the film, with Tom Holland  returning to star, along with Jon Watts as director by June 2020. Filming began in October 2020 in New York City, before moving to Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia later that month. The title was officially announced in February 2021, before filming concluded in late March. Producer Amy Pascal described the film as "the culmination of the "Homecoming" trilogy". "Spider-Man: No Way Home" premiered in Los Angeles on December 13, 2021, and was released in the United States on December 17, 2021. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" begins immediately after the events of "Spider-Man: Far From Home", and  continues over late 2024, while also tying into "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (2022); Benedict Cumberbatch and Benedict Wong reprise their roles as Dr. Stephen Strange and Wong, respectively. "No Way Home" explores the concept of the multiverse and ties the MCU to past "Spider-Man" film series, with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning as their versions of Spider-Man from Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy and Marc Webb's "The Amazing Spider-Man" films, who were respectively dubbed "Peter-Two" and "Peter-Three", alongside Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin, Alfred Molina as Otto  Octavius / Doctor Octopus, and Thomas Haden Church as Flint Marko / Sandman from the Raimi films, and Rhys Ifans as Curt Connors / Lizard and Jamie Foxx as Max Dillon / Electro from the Webb films. Charlie Cox appears as Matt Murdock, reprising the role from Marvel Television's Netflix series, while Tom Hardy appears, uncredited, in the mid-credits scene as Eddie Brock / Venom, reprising his role from Sony's Spider-Man Universe. Section::::"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (2022). Dr. Stephen Strange, with the help of both old and new mystical allies, travels into the multiverse to face a mysterious  new adversary. By December 2018, "Doctor Strange" (2016) director and co-writer Scott Derrickson signed to direct a sequel, with Benedict Cumberbatch reprising his title role. The title was officially announced at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, along with Elizabeth Olsen's involvement. In January 2020, Derrickson stepped down as director over creative differences, but remained an executive producer. The next month, Sam Raimi signed on to direct, and "Loki" (2021) head writer Michael Waldron joined to rewrite the script; Raimi confirmed his involvement in April 2020. Filming began by November 2020 in London, but was halted in January  2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed by that March, and concluded in mid-April 2021 in Somerset. "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" will premiere in Hollywood on May 2, 2022, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 6, 2022. "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is set a few months after the events of "Spider-Man: No Way Home", as well as after the first season of "Loki". Elizabeth Olsen co-stars as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, continuing from her appearance in the series "WandaVision" (2021), which directly sets up  the film, with Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne also reprising their roles as Maximoff's sons Billy and Tommy, respectively. Section::::"Thor: Love and Thunder" (2022). Thor attempts to find inner peace but ends up recruiting Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster—who has become the Mighty Thor—to help stop Gorr the God Butcher from eliminating all gods. In January 2018, Chris Hemsworth expressed interest in continuing to play Thor, despite his contract with Marvel Studios then ending after "Avengers: Endgame". By July 2019, Taika Waititi signed to write and direct a fourth "Thor" film after previously directing "" (2017), and the  title was officially announced at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con later that month, with Hemsworth returning alongside Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, who becomes the superhero the Mighty Thor after her absence from "Ragnarok". In February 2020, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson joined to co-write the screenplay with Waititi. Filming began in late January 2021 in Australia, and concluded that June. "Thor: Love and Thunder" is scheduled to be released on July 8, 2022. "Thor: Love and Thunder" is set after the events of "Avengers: Endgame". The Guardians of the Galaxy will be featured in  the film, with Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper reprising their respective roles as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Mantis, Drax the Destroyer, Nebula, Groot, and Rocket, alongside Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri from previous MCU films. Section::::"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (2022). By October 2018, Ryan Coogler signed to write and direct a sequel to "Black Panther" (2018). Joe Robert Cole also returned for the film to once again co-write the screenplay with Coogler. Feige confirmed the film was in development by mid-2019 with the placeholder title "Black Panther II". Plans for the  film changed in August 2020 when "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer, with his role as T'Challa not recast. Some of the main returning cast members were confirmed by that November. The title, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", was revealed in May 2021. Production began in late June 2021 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, and lasted until early November 2021, before a hiatus began later that month. Filming resumed in mid-January 2022. Shooting also occurred in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, and in Brunswick, Georgia, before wrapping in Puerto Rico in March 2022. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is  scheduled to be released on November 11, 2022. Dominique Thorne will appear as Riri Williams / Ironheart, ahead of starring in the Disney+ series "Ironheart". Section::::"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (2023). Ahead of the release of "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018), Peyton Reed and Marvel Studios expected a third "Ant-Man" film would be made and had discussed potential story points, with Reed returning as director by November 2019, alongside Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as Scott Lang / Ant-Man and Hope van Dyne / Wasp. Jeff Loveness was writing the script by April 2020, with the title and new  cast members revealed that December. Filming in Turkey began in early February 2021, while principal photography began at the end of July at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, and ended in November. Shooting was also scheduled to occur in Atlanta and San Francisco, to last until 2022. "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is scheduled to be released on February 17, 2023. Jonathan Majors appears as Kang the Conqueror, after first appearing as a variant of that character called He Who Remains in the first season of "Loki". Section::::"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" (2023). A third "Guardians of the Galaxy  film was planned by Marvel Studios in April 2016, with James Gunn returning to write and direct a year later. Disney fired him in July 2018 after the resurfacing of controversial tweets, but reversed course that October and reinstated Gunn as director. Gunn's return was revealed in early 2019 along with the five main stars' involvement, with production beginning after Gunn completed his film The Suicide Squad" (2021) and its spin-off series "Peacemaker" (2022). Feige confirmed the film was in development at the July 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. Filming began in November 2021, in Atlanta, and is  expected to conclude in early May 2022. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is scheduled to be released on May 5, 2023. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is set after the events of "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" (2022). Section::::"The Marvels" (2023). Feige confirmed a sequel to "Captain Marvel" (2019) was in development at the July 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, with Megan McDonnell writing the script and Brie Larson returning as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel by January 2020. The studio wanted a female director for the film rather than have Anna  Boden and Ryan Fleck return from the first, with Nia DaCosta hired to direct by that August. The film was announced with the title "Captain Marvel 2" in December 2020, with the official title, "The Marvels", revealed in May 2021. Second unit filming began in mid-April 2021 in New Jersey, while principal photography had begun by August 2021 at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, and in Tropea. Shooting also occurred in Los Angeles. "The Marvels" is scheduled to be released on July 28, 2023. "The Marvels" will be set up by the Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel" (2022), with Iman Vellani , Saagar Shaikh, Zenobia Shroff, and Mohan Kapur reprising their respective roles as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, Amir Khan, Muneeba Khan, and Yusuf Khan from "Ms. Marvel". Teyonah Parris returns as the adult Monica Rambeau from "WandaVision", after the character was previously portrayed as a child by Akira Akbar in "Captain Marvel". Section::::"Fantastic Four". At the July 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, Feige announced Marvel Studios was developing a Fantastic Four film for the MCU, with Jon Watts announced as the director in December 2020. Watts stepped down in April 2022 to take a break from superhero projects. Television series. All  the series in Phase Four are being released on Disney+. Section::::"WandaVision" (2021). Wanda Maximoff and Vision are living the idyllic suburban life, trying to conceal their powers. But as they begin to enter new decades and encounter television tropes, the couple suspects things are not as they seem. By September 2018, Marvel Studios was developing a limited series starring Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as Vision, with a focus on their relationship. Jac Schaeffer was hired to write the first episode and serve as head writer in January 2019, and the series was officially announced and titled  that April, with Olsen and Bettany confirmed. It explores where Maximoff's alias the Scarlet Witch comes from. Filming began in November 2019 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios, with Matt Shakman directing the series, but was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in Los Angeles in September 2020, and concluded that November. "WandaVision" premiered on January 15, 2021, and ran for nine episodes, concluding on March 5, 2021. A spin-off series, "", starring Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness is in development. "WandaVision" is set three weeks after the events of "Avengers: Endgame", and directly sets up  Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which also features Maximoff. Teyonah Parris plays an adult version of Monica Rambeau, who appeared as a child in "Captain Marvel", played by Akira Akbar, while Randall Park and Kat Dennings reprise their MCU roles of Jimmy Woo and Darcy Lewis in the series. Evan Peters appears as Ralph Bohner, a man posing as Wanda's deceased brother Pietro, who was portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in previous MCU films. This was a nod to Peters' role as Peter Maximoff in 20th Century Fox's "X-Men" film series. The organization S.W.O.R.D. was  introduced in the series, one of the first comic elements previously controlled by 20th Century Fox to be integrated into the MCU following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, while the "Darkhold" is also featured, after previously appearing in the Marvel Television series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and "Runaways" with a different design. Section::::"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (2021). Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes team-up in a worldwide adventure that tests their abilities and their patience. By late October 2018, Malcolm Spellman was hired to write and serve as head writer on a limited series starring Anthony  Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier. The series was officially announced and titled in April 2019, with Mackie and Stan confirmed. Filming began in October 2019, in Atlanta, with Kari Skogland directing the series, but was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in early September 2020, and concluded late the next month. "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" premiered on March 19, 2021, and ran for six episodes, concluding on April 23, 2021. A fourth "Captain America" film is in development as a continuation of the series. "The  Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is set six months after the events of "Avengers: Endgame". Georges St-Pierre, Don Cheadle, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, and Florence Kasumba reprise their respective MCU roles of Georges Batroc, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Helmut Zemo, Sharon Carter, and Ayo. Julia Louis-Dreyfus appears as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the series. Louis-Dreyfus had been expected to first appear in "Black Widow" before pandemic delays pushed the film's release until after the series. Section::::"Loki" season 1 (2021). After stealing the Tesseract during the events of "Avengers: Endgame", an alternate version of Loki is brought  to the mysterious Time Variance Authority (TVA) to help fix the timeline and stop a greater threat, ending up trapped in a crime thriller of his own making, traveling through time. By September 2018, Marvel Studios was developing a limited series starring Tom Hiddleston as Loki, which Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that November. In February 2019, Michael Waldron was hired as head writer, and Hiddleston was confirmed to reprise his title role. Filming began in February 2020, with Kate Herron directing the series, but was suspended that March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in September 2020 at  Pinewood Atlanta Studios, and concluded in early December. The first season of "Loki" premiered on June 9, 2021, and ran for six episodes, concluding on July 14, 2021. A second season is in development. "Loki" begins after the 2012 events seen in "Avengers: Endgame", but much of the season exists outside of time and space or in different time periods that the characters travel to. The season ties into "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness", and Feige said it would be "tremendously important" and "lay the groundwork" for the future of the MCU. This includes the appearance of Jonathan  Majors as He Who Remains, a variant of the character Kang the Conqueror who will appear in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania". Jaimie Alexander makes an uncredited cameo appearance as Sif, reprising her role from previous MCU media, while Thor actor Chris Hemsworth has an uncredited cameo as the voice of Throg, a frog version of Thor. Section::::"What If...?" (2021–present). "What If...?" explores what would happen if major moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) occurred differently. Following the formation of the Guardians of the Multiverse, the Watcher continues to meet new heroes and strange worlds in the  MCU multiverse. By March 2019, Marvel Studios was developing an animated anthology series based on the "What If" comic book concept to explore how the MCU would be altered if certain events had occurred differently. Jeffrey Wright was revealed to narrate the series as the Watcher that July, with many actors from the films also voicing their respective characters; voice recording began the next month, Production continued remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, with on-site work suspended. A. C. Bradley serves as head writer with Bryan Andrews directing. The first season of "What If...?" premiered on August 11, 2021, and  ran for nine episodes, concluding on October 6, 2021. In December 2019, work had already begun on the second season, which will consist of nine episodes, and will debut in 2022. "What If...?" is set after "Loki" first season finale, exploring the various branching timelines of the newly created multiverse. Section::::"Hawkeye" (2021). While in New York City post-Blip, Clint Barton must work together with the young Kate Bishop to confront enemies from his past time as Ronin in order to get back to his family in time for Christmas. By April 2019, Marvel Studios was developing a limited series  starring Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye, which would involve Barton passing the mantle of Hawkeye to the character Kate Bishop. At the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, the series was officially announced with it exploring more of Barton's time as the vigilante Ronin, with Jonathan Igla hired as head writer that September while Hailee Steinfeld was in consideration to portray Bishop. Steinfeld was confirmed as Bishop in early December 2020, when filming began in New York City, with both Rhys Thomas and Bert & Bertie each directing a block of episodes. Shooting also occurred at Trilith Studios in Atlanta , and concluded in late April 2021. "Hawkeye" premiered on November 24, 2021, and ran for six episodes, concluding on December 22. A spin-off series, "Echo", starring Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez / Echo, is in development. "Hawkeye" is set one year after the events of "Avengers: Endgame" during the 2024 Christmas season, and occurs over the course of about a week. Florence Pugh reprises her role as Yelena Belova / Black Widow from "Black Widow", along with Linda Cardellini as Barton's wife Laura from previous MCU films, and Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk / Kingpin from Marvel Television's Netflix series  Daredevil (2015–2018). Section::::"Moon Knight" (2022). Marc Spector, who suffers from dissociative identity disorder, is drawn into a deadly mystery involving Egyptian gods with his multiple identities, such as Steven Grant. At the 2019 D23 Expo, Marvel Studios announced that a series centered on Marc Spector / Moon Knight was in development, with Jeremy Slater hired as head writer that November. In October 2020, Oscar Isaac entered negotiations to portray the title role, and was confirmed to have been cast by January 2021. Filming began in late April 2021 in Budapest, with Mohamed Diab and duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead directing  episodes of the series, and concluded in early October in Hungary and Jordan, before moving to Atlanta. Filming wrapped by mid-October. "Moon Knight" premiered on March 30, 2022, and will run for six episodes, concluding on May 4. "Moon Knight" is set after "Hawkeye" in early 2025. Section::::"Ms. Marvel". Kamala Khan, a fan of the Avengers, particularly Carol Danvers, struggles to fit in until she gains her own powers. By the August 2019 D23 Expo, Marvel Studios was developing a series centered on Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, with Bisha K. Ali hired as head writer. In September 2020, Iman  Vellani was cast in the title role. Filming began by early November 2020 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Meera Menon directing episodes of the series. Shooting also occurred in New Jersey, and concluded in early May 2021 in Thailand. "Ms. Marvel" is set to premiere on June 8, 2022, and will consist of six episodes. "Ms. Marvel" will set-up "The Marvels" (2023), which Vellani will also star in. Section::::"She-Hulk". "She-Hulk" revolves around Bruce Banner's cousin, who gains superpowers after receiving a blood transfusion from him . At the 2019 D23 Expo, Marvel Studios announced that a series centered on Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk was in development, with Jessica Gao hired as head writer that November. In September 2020, Tatiana Maslany was cast in the title role. Filming began in mid-April 2021 in Los Angeles and at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, with Kat Coiro and Anu Valia directing episodes of the series. Filming wrapped by late August 2021. "She-Hulk" is set to premiere in 2022, and will consist of ten episodes. Mark Ruffalo and Tim Roth will reprise their respective roles as Bruce Banner / Hulk  and Emil Blonsky / Abomination from previous MCU films. Untitled Halloween special. Jake tries to protect his family, his small town in Arizona, and himself after becoming the new Werewolf by Night. By August 2021, Marvel Studios was developing a Halloween-themed television special for Disney+ that was reportedly centered on Werewolf by Night, though it was unclear if either the Jack Russell or Jake Gomez versions of the character would be featured. Gael García Bernal was cast in the lead role for the special in November. Filming began in late March 2022 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with Michael  Giacchino directing the special, and concluded by late April 2022. The special is expected to be released in October 2022. Section::::"The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special". In December 2020, Marvel Studios announced that James Gunn would write and direct a new television special featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy, with the main cast returning. Filming began by February 2022 in Atlanta, and concluded in late April 2022, during the production of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" (2023). Shooting also occurred in Los Angeles. "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" is set to premiere in December 2022. "The  Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" is set between the events of "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3". Section::::"Secret Invasion". A sect of Skrulls have infiltrated all aspects of life on Earth. By September 2020, Marvel Studios was developing a series centered on Nick Fury, with Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role and Kyle Bradstreet serving as head writer. That December, Marvel Studios revealed the series to be an adaptation of the "Secret Invasion" comic book storyline, and confirmed Jackson, with Ben Mendelsohn co-starring as Talos. Filming had begun by September 2021 in London , with Thomas Bezucha and Ali Selim directing episodes of the series. Filming concluded in late April 2022. Additional filming occurred across West Yorkshire and in Liverpool, England. "Secret Invasion" will consist of six episodes. Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman, and Don Cheadle will reprise their respective MCU roles of Maria Hill, Everett K. Ross, and James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Section::::"Ironheart". In December 2020, Marvel Studios announced a series centered on Riri Williams / Ironheart was in development starring Dominique Thorne, reprising her role from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever". Chinaka Hodge was hired as head writer in April 2021. Ryan Coogler, writer and director  of "Black Panther" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", co-develops the series through his company Proximity Media. Filming is scheduled to begin in June 2022 in Atlanta, with Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes directing episodes of the series. "Ironheart" will consist of six episodes. Section::::"Armor Wars". James Rhodes must confront one of Tony Stark's greatest fears when Stark's tech falls into the wrong hands. In December 2020, Marvel Studios announced a series based on the "Armor Wars" comic book storyline, with Don Cheadle reprising his role as James Rhodes / War Machine. In August 2021, Yassir Lester was hired  as the series' head writer. The death of Tony Stark will factor into the series. Filming is expected to begin in late 2022 in Atlanta. Untitled Wakanda series. In February 2021, a drama series set in Wakanda was revealed to be in development from Ryan Coogler, writer and director of "Black Panther" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", through his company Proximity Media. By May 2021, Danai Gurira had signed a deal to reprise her role as Okoye, the head of the Dora Milaje, in the series, which was said to be an origin spin-off for the character. Timeline. Many  of the properties in the Phase are set after the events of "Endgame". "WandaVision" is set three weeks after the events of that film, and directly sets up "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"; The first season of "Loki" continues from the 2012 events seen in "Endgame", but much of the series exists outside of time and space given the introduction of the TVA; it also ties in with "Multiverse of Madness". "What If...?" is set after "Loki" first season finale, exploring the various branching timelines of the newly created multiverse in which major moments from the MCU films  occur differently. "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is set six months after "Endgame". "Eternals" takes place around the same time as "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and "Far From Home", six to eight months after "Endgame" in 2024, while "Spider-Man: No Way Home" begins immediately after "Far From Home", and continues over late 2024. "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is also set after "Endgame". "Hawkeye" takes place one year after the events of "Avengers: Endgame" during the 2024 Christmas season, occurring over the course of about a week. "Moon Knight" is set after  Hawkeye in early 2025, while "Multiverse of Madness" is set a few months after "No Way Home". "Thor: Love and Thunder" is also set after "Endgame". "Black Widow" is set between "Civil War" and "", mostly taking place between the main plot of "Civil War" and its final scene. Marketing. In early January 2021, Marvel announced their "Marvel Must Haves" program, which reveals new toys, games, books, apparel, home decor, and other merchandise from Hasbro, Lego, Funko, Her Universe, Loungefly and others based on the episodes of Disney+ series "WandaVision", "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier", "Loki", "What If...?", and "Hawkeye . The program began on January 18, 2021, with new reveals each Monday until the end of 2021. Paul Gitter, senior vice president of Marvel Licensing called the program an unprecedented weekly celebration" with products that "authentically celebrate each new episode". The program continued into 2022 with "Moon Knight". Home media. In June 2021, Matt Mitovich of "TVLine" reported that there were no plans at that time to release the Disney+ series on physical media. Reception. Critical and public response. Ahead of "WandaVision" premiering to start the phase, Julia Alexander at "The Verge" wondered if Marvel Studios would be oversaturating their  content saying having essentially "a new Marvel thing each week [in 2021] is either a blessing or a curse" depending on how viewers felt about the MCU. While Alexander felt franchise fatigue was possible, she said Marvel Studios and Disney's biggest concern was losing trust from the fanbase, pointing to the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy (2015–2019) as an example of a large portion of the fans not being pleased with the quality of the content. Alexander was encouraged by the fact that Feige was leading development of the Disney+ series, unlike the past Marvel television series being separate from  the MCU films and led by Marvel Television's Jeph Loeb, and that the studio "just needs to keep doing what it's already doing" in order for the "same level of attention" given to creating the overarching story in the past films to be applied to the Disney+ series. With "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" being described as a "six-hour movie", Christian Holub of "Entertainment Weekly" noted this led to the series simultaneously "try[ing] to do too much and too little at once" and hoped future Disney+ series would be structured more like television episodes as "WandaVision  was, even if they did not employ the meta quality that series did with the format. Tie-in media. Section::::Marvel Studios: Legends" (2021). Announced in December 2020, this series examines individual heroes, villains, moments, and objects from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how they connect, in anticipation of the upcoming stories that will feature them in Phase Four. "Marvel Studios: Legends" premiered on Disney+ on January 8, 2021, with the release of the first two episodes. Episodes highlighted Wanda Maximoff, Vision, Falcon, Winter Soldier, Zemo, Sharon Carter, Loki, the Tesseract, Black Widow, Peggy Carter, the Avengers Initiative, the Ravagers, the  Ten Rings, Hawkeye, Doctor Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, ahead of their appearances in Disney+ series and films. Section::::"Marvel Studios: Assembled" (2021). Announced in February 2021, each special of the documentary series goes behind the scenes of the making of the MCU films and television series with cast members and additional creatives. "Marvel Studios: Assembled" premiered on Disney+ on March 12, 2021, with a special for "WandaVision", followed by additional specials for "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier", the first season of "Loki", "Black Widow", the first season of "What If...?", "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the  Ten Rings", "Hawkeye", "Eternals", and "Moon Knight". Section::::"I Am Groot". Each short follows Baby Groot as he grows up in the galaxy, going on adventures with new and unusual characters that gets him into trouble. Announced in December 2020, "I Am Groot" is a series of photorealistic animated short films starring Baby Groot for Disney+. Production had begun by August 2021, with Kirsten Lepore serving as director and executive producer. Ryan Little was revealed to be writing the series in November 2021. "I Am Groot" is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in 2022.