A look at all the Marvel movies (and TV shows) currently in development [Updated]

Sony continues to churn out Spider-Man movies, while Fox holds on to the rights of several Marvel characters, most notably the X-Men and Fantastic Four. Regardless of the studio behind it, Marvel characters are hot in films right now. We’ve accumulated all the news and rumors of the upcoming Marvel characters for you to sort through. Check back often, as we will continue to update this page.

This article will contain minor spoilers, so if you are hoping to remain completely in the dark, this might not be the page for you. Otherwise, just choose from one of the upcoming films below or take look at all the upcoming DC films, both rumored and confirmed.

• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May 2, 2014)

• The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and related projects (TBA) NEW!
• X-Men: Days of Future Past (May 23, 2014)
• Fantastic Four (March 6, 2015)
• X-Force (TBA)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1, 2014)
• The Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1, 2015)
• Ant-Man (July 21, 2015)
• Captain America 3 (May 6, 2016) NEW!
• Doctor Strange (TBA) NEW!
• Marvel Film News and Rumors 
• Marvel TV shows

Updated on 4-07-2014 by Ryan Fleming: Added new sections on the upcoming Spider Man films, Captain America 3, and Doctor Strange, as well as more detailed info on Marvel’s TV projects, and the latest news for each movie. 

(Any updates or additional news will be posted with the date of the update next to them.)

Films with Marvel Characters Being Developed Outside of Marvel Studios

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May 2, 2014)

Filming on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 completed long ago, and the movie is nearing release. There is still a lot we don’t know yet, but all rumors will be confirmed soon enough. What we do know is that the film pits Peter Parker, aka Spidery, against a trio of enemies: Rhino, Electro, and the Green Goblin. Of the three, Electro is said to be the primary antagonist though, with the Rhino in little more than a bit role and the Green Goblin working with Electro in some fashion. Andrew Garfield reprises his role as Parker, while Emma Stone once again plays his love interest Gwen Stacey. Marc Webb returns to direct.

The images and trailers confirm that the film’s Electro will be modeled on the Ultimate Electro, who rather than wearing a gaudy yellow costume is instead himself electric blue. Leaked images also confirm that the story will be set around the time of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacey’s high school graduation. We also know that the film’s version of the Green Goblin will be Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), rather than his father Norman (Chris Cooper) as is traditional, who looks to be deathly ill. Based on some hints in the trailer though, the elder Osborn will be pulling many of the strings throughout. BJ Novak will also appear as Alistair Smythe, who in the comics goes on to become the villain, the Ultimate Spider-Slayer.

• Shailene Woodley was set to appear as Mary Jane in the film, but her role has been cut and pushed to the third and fourth films, presumably due to pacing issues. There are rumors that the role may be recast as well.
• Actress Felicity Jones has been cast in an unknown role, but she stated that she is playing the “Goblin’s girlfriend – I’m in a relationship with him, and his accomplice.” If the film follows the source material, that could make her Harry Osborn’s girlfriend, Lily Hollister. In the comics, Hollister stumbles upon Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin gear (along with his super strength serum) and becomes the villain Menace.  [7/17/13].
• Giamatti will only be in a few scenes, and Webb has called it “a little bit of a tease.” [7/22/13] [7/23/13]
• Harry Osborne and Peter Parker are childhood friends who haven’t seen each other in years. Harry has been at a private boarding school called Ravencroft – in the comics, the Ravencroft Institute is a maximum security prison for the criminally insane. [7/22/13]
• Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) will be sick throughout the movie, building on the story started in the first film that will likely continue on through the sequels. [7/22/13]
• Jamie Foxx has confirmed that there has been discussion about the possibility of bringing the Sinister Six to the big screen. [9/13/13]
• In the film’s Tumblr feed, a faux news article was posted that may hint at future developments. In it, the name Spencer Smythe was mentioned as the head of Oscorp’s engineering division, which is currently working on a flight harness and various robotics projects. That flight harness is likely going to end up as the Green Goblin’s glider, while the robotics could become “Spider Slayers,” robots that in the comics Spencer Smythe created to destroy Spider-Man. [10/14/13]
• The first full trailer has arrived. [12/6/13]
• The international trailer shows that the film will have a lighter side, and Peter Parker cracks jokes, just like in the comics. [12/13/13]
• Sony is in the very early stages of developing two Amazing Spider-Man spin-off films, one featuring Venom and another starring the Sinister Six. [12/13/13]
• Colm Feore will appear as Donald Menken, who in the comics is a personal assistant to Norman Osborn. The character of Menken may be the mysterious person that appears at the end of the first film representing Oscorp. [1/17/14]
• A new article on the film’s faux-Daily Bugle Tumblr site has posted a story introducing geneticist Miles Warren. this may simply be color to expand the Spider-Man universe in the yes of its fans, or it may be the  first step towards something more. In the comics, Warren became the Jackal. After falling in love with Gwen Stacey, he cloned her and then Peter Parker, leading to a story arc known as “The Clone Saga.” [1/17/14]
• A closer look at DeHaan as the Goblin has been released (on the right). The image clearly shows that the transformation is at least partially physical. If you look closely, you can also see the Oscorp logo on the suit he wears. [3/26/14]
• Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal announced that the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will set-up some of the characters that will make up the Sinister Six. [3/26/14]
• A post-credit scene is rumored to feature a nod to X-Men: Days of Future Past. [4/18/14]

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 (June 10, 2016)

There isn’t much to say about The Amazing Spider-Man 3 just yet, but Sony has confirmed that it is moving ahead with a third, and potentially a fourth film. Barring a shockingly disastrous outing from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the third offering is a lock. A fourth is almost a certainly as well, but in the unlikely event of two Spidey box office bombs in a row, Sony would probably cancel – or at least severely alter – a fourth. Based on the hype alone though, both films should do at least alright if not be outright hits.

Director Marc Webb has announced that he will return to direct the third film. He won’t helm a fourth, but he will remain attached in a different capacity, most likely as an executive producer. No news on the story yet, but it’s a safe bet that it will continue Spider-Man’s ongoing conflict with Oscorp.

• The Amazing Spider-Man 4 is tentatively set to hit theaters on May 4, 2018.
• It may be that the story director Marc Webb and Sony initially envisioned warranted four movies, but the sequel announcements may also have something to do with ensuring that the rights to the character stick with Sony for a while to come. If Sony does not develop a film based on the property for a set (and unknown) period of time, the rights revert back to Marvel.
• Webb has hinted that the fourth Spider-Man movie could feature multiple superheroes and be a team-up film. Sony owns the rights to all characters that primarily appear in the Spider-Man comics, so there are a lot of possibilities to introduce lesser known secondary heroes.
• Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinkner, screenwriters of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, have been brought back to begin work on the script for the third film.
• J. Jonah Jameson may appear in the third film. [4/22/14]

Venom (TBA)

Sony has yet to officially confirm that Venom will be released in 2017, but it has stated that it intends to release a Spider-Man related film every year, following The Amazing Spider-Man 3 in 2016. That leaves 2017 and 2019 for spin-off films, as The Amazing Spider-Man 4 will fill the 2018 gap. Of the two confirmed spin-offs – Venom and The Sinister Six – Venom is further ahead in the development process. Sony hired the writers of The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2, Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci to write the script with Ed Soloman, and Kurtzman is also set to direct.

• A faux-news article for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 teased Cletus Kasady, the man who becomes Carnage. The Daily Bugle article was written by Eddie Brock, the man that becomes Venom. [4/11/14]

The Sinister Six (TBA)

The next spin-off movie on the way will be a supervillain team-up featuring several of Spider-Man’s deadliest foes. Sony has yet to say exactly who will make up the team’s roster, although Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal hinted that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will give us a few clues. Drew Goddard is set to write and direct the film.

Next Page: X-Men: Days of Future Past (May 23, 2014)

X-Men: Days of Future Past (May 23, 2014)

Filming is complete on X-Men: Days of Future Past, with Bryan Singer once again taking over behind the lens and First Class director Matthew Vaughn stepping into the position of producer. The movie will be a sequel to X-Men: First Class, but it will also tie into the previous X-Men trilogy. It will feature much of the same cast, including both James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart appearing as Charles Xavier at different points in time, and Michael Fassbeneder and Ian McKellen both taking a turn as Magneto. Hugh Jackman will also appear as the nearly ageless Wolverine.

Characters that haven’t been seen since the ill-fated and poorly received X-Men: The Last Stand will also return, including Halle Berry’s Storm, Shawn Ashmore as Iceman, and Ellen Page’s Kitty Pryde. They will be joined by the new-to-the-big-screen characters of Bishop, Warpath, and Blink. Peter Dinklage will also appear as one of the film’s primary villains, Bolivar Trask, the creator of the mutant hunting robotic Sentinels.

• Evan Peters will appear as Quicksilver, the son of Magneto. The character of Quicksilver (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) will also appear in The Avengers 2 along with his sister the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). The two characters will be separate, and each will have a different origin.
• Rumors hint at the film opening with the assassination of President Kennedy, with the “Magic bullet” being controlled by Magneto.
• The character of Sabretooth may make a cameo appearance, but if he is, it isn’t clear if the role will go to Liev Schreiber or Taylor Mane (or someone else entirely), both of whom have played the character.
• Wolverine will be the character that bridges the two time periods. In the near future, Xavier (Stewart) and Magneto (McKellan), will be among only a handful of mutant survivors living under the rule of the Sentinels. They will somehow find a way to send Wolverine’s consciousness back to his younger self. [7/22]13]
• McAvoy’s Xavier will be in a bad place, feeling sorry for himself and nowhere near the man he becomes. [7/22/13]
• The film will take place 10 years after X-Men: The Last Stand, and 10 years after X-Men: First Class. [7/25/13]
• Singer has released the first look at a a full size sentinel. [8/5/13]
• A new trailer has been released. [10/30/13]
• Singer has already begun to tease a sequel to this film for 2016, featuring the X-Men villain Apocalypse. [12/6/13]
• Although Anna Paquin did return to reprise her role as Rogue, her scenes were cut due to pacing. They will appear as extras on the home media release though. [12/20/13]
• Days of Future Past will lead directly into the tentatively titled “X-Men: Apocalypse.” [3/21/14]
• A new viral video highlights 25 moments where mutants changed the course of the world created by the X-Men universe. [4/14/14]
• The final trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past has been released. [4/16/14]

Next Page: Fantastic Four (March 6, 2015)

Fantastic Four (March 6, 2015)

The previous Fantastic Four series that spawned two films will be mercifully ignored, and the new film will be a reboot of the series. Chronicle’s director Josh Trank is attached to direct, Matthew Vaughn is also attached as a producer, and the film will share the same continuity as the X-Men movies. The films will look to the Ultimate version of the Fantastic Four, which re-imagined the team as younger than most depictions showed them.

The cast has been confirmed: Miles Teller (21 & Over) will play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Kate Mara (House of Cards) will play Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle) will play Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Jamie Bell (Defiance) as Ben Grimm/The Thing. Toby Kebbell (Wrath of the Titans) will play Victor von Doom, aka Dr. Doom.

• The title may be Fantastic Four: Reborn, or simply The Fantastic Four.
• The FF reboot will shoot in Louisiana rather than Vancouver as originally planned, thanks to a massive tax credit the state is offering filmmakers. [7/25/13]
• Despite progress being made in pre-production, X-Men: Days of Future Past writer Simon Kinberg has been brought in to rewrite the film. [10/2/13]
• Screenwriter Simon Kinberg has been hired to help link the X-Men and Fantastic Four universes. [1/7/14]
• Rumors of a possible X-Men vs. Fantastic Four film have been debunked, but there is still a good chance of future crossover between the franchises. [1/17/14]
• Producer Matthew Vaughn has confirmed that the upcoming film will be a total reboot of the franchise, and be nothing like the original. [3/7/14]
• A sequel to the reboot has already been confirmed, and it will tentatively be released on July 14, 2017. [3/20/14]
• In order to create The Thing on the big screen, Bell will film all his scenes in a motion capture suit. Bell is no stranger to this technique, having done a similar performance in The Adventures of Tintin. [3/20/14]
• There are rumors that the team will face off against “Doombots,” robotic creations that serve Dr. Doom. [4/2/14]

Next Page: X-Force (TBA)

X-Force (TBA)

Although it is still years from actually managing to pull it off, 20th Century Fox has quietly begun to ape Marvel and Disney’s superhero plans. The pieces aren’t in place yet, but it looks like Fox is hoping to create its own section of the Marvel Universe populated by the various X-teams, as well as the Fantastic Four and possibly a few others. The next piece in that puzzle appears to be X-Force. X-Force is a team that has seen several incarnations since it was introduced in 1991, but at its core, the idea has remained the same. The team is a more militant wing of the mutants struggle for equality, traditionally bringing the fight to enemies rather than waiting to respond to threats. The roster has changed over the years, and while Fox could dig deep into the mutant well and even bring over some previously introduced characters (Wolverine was recently a member, and Colossus is currently on the team), some of the characters are more complicated than others. Cable, for example, would be difficult to bring to the big screen.

In the comics, Cable was the man that founded X-Force, and has been a member for the majority of the team’s history. He’s a tactical genius, and a leader that is willing to do things Xavier and his teams wouldn’t. He’s also the son of Cyclops and a clone of Jean Grey, sent to the future after being infected with a techno-organic virus by Apocalypse, the enemy he was created to defeat. It’s complicated. Bringing him into the fold would require serious alterations to his character, which may work, or it may alienate fans. The job of figuring that out falls to Jeff Wadlow, the writer/director of Kick-Ass 2, who is currently working on the script and will likely direct as well.

• Mark Millar has claimed that the team will consist of five characters. If that is true, it stands to reason that the five have already been selected (Thanks to our reader “leane.eckeleer” for the tip!). [7/30/13]
• Comics writer Rob Liefeld is claiming that Wadlow has completed the script, and that it is faithful to the books – although he wouldn’t say which X-Force books, or who would be on the team. [1/17/14]
• Liefeld also went on to say that he thinks an X-Force film and a Deadpool film may be released within six months to a year of each other. There is also a chance that Deadpool will be introduced in X-Force (the character has appeared on the team), and use that film as a springboard to a solo film. [1/17/14]

Next Page: Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1, 2014)

Marvel Studios Films

Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1, 2014)

The Guardians of the Galaxy will be a bit more off-kilter than the other Marvel films. It introduces several new alien races, and expand the Marvel Universe to a galactic scale. That could open the door for several new storylines and characters, including the original Captain Marvel, aka Mar-Vell, of the Kree. From there it is an easy step to the Avengers “Galactic Storm” storyline, which put the Avengers in the middle of a war between the Kree and the Skrull (who were -arguably – introduced as the “Chitauri” in The Avengers). The Nova Corps, a group of intergalactic peacekeepers, will also appear and play a prominent role.

Directed by James Gunn (Super, Slither), the film will star Chris Pratt as Peter Quill (aka Star Lord), Dave Bautista as Drax, and Zoe Saldana as Gamora. The rest of the team will CGI, and include the voices of Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon and Vin Diesel as Groot.

The story will revolve around a “powerful object” that the group gets their hands on, forcing them on the run. The inclusion of Drax the Destroyer is also likely to have larger consequences. The character in the comics was specifically created to defeat Thanos, the enemy seen at the end of The Avengers who has been confirmed to return in future Marvel movies, possibly starting with Guardians.

• Michael Rooker will appear as Yondu, one of the founders of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
• John C. Reilly will appear as Nova Corps member Rhomann Dey, opening the door for future members of the Nova Corps in other Marvel films.
• Karen Gillan is playing Nebula, the self-professed daughter of Thanos. In the comics, her claims anger Thanos, who uses the Infinity Gauntlet to turn her into a zombie-like creature. She then steals the Gauntlet for herself and fights a collection of Marvel heroes, along with Thanos himself. Nebula is also bald, explaining why Gillan shaved her head (see below). [7/9/13] [7/22/13]
• Lee Pace plays Ronan the Accuser, a member of the Kree race who was often an antagonist, but not always a bad guy. Djimon Hounsou plays Korath, another member of the Kree and an ally of Ronan. [7/9/13] [7/22/13]
• Benicio Del Toro will appear in this film, and several other Marvel films as The Collector, a member of the “Elders of the Universe,” and a possible antagonist. Traditionally though, The Collector has been more ambiguous in his intentions. Del Toro first appeared in costume at the end of Thor: The Dark World.  [7/9/13]
• Glenn Close will play Nova Prime, leader of the Nova Corps. [7/22/13]
• President of Production at Marvel Studios Kevin Feige has confirmed that Thanos will appear in Guardians, as well as several other films. [7/25/13]
• Pictures of Close and the Nova Corps have been released (see right). [8/12/13]
• Principle photography has wrapped. [10/14/13]
• The film may further expand upon the Infinity Gems, which were introduced in Thor: The Dark World. That in turn could set up an “Infinity Gauntlet storyline int he future, uniting all the Marvel characters on film to face off with an all-powerful Thanos. [1/17/14].
• A trailer has been released. [2/19/14]

  

  

  

  

Next Page: The Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1, 2015)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1, 2015)

Joss Whedon is already hard at work on the development of the sequel, and filming has begun. The plot will feature the birth of Ultron, but it will be an original take based on the Marvel universe created by the films, and not specifically drawing on any one comic story arc. Whedon has claimed that the film will be darker than the original, and has hinted that this is part of a long planned trilogy. With Robert Downey Jr. confirming that he will appear in both Avengers 2 and 3, this seems to be the case.

The main cast from the first film will return, including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, and Samuel L. Jackson. They will be joined by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, who will play the newest Avengers Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, respectively – both characters will be unique to the Marvel Studios universe, and will be unrelated to the X-Men versions. James Spader has been cast as Ultron, and while it hasn’t been announced how Whedon is planning on filming the character, with Hulk in The Avengers Ruffalo acted out all of his character’s parts while wearing a motion capture suit. Whedon has also claimed that his Ultron will be a character “with pain.”

• The signing of Downey Jr. also defuses the possibility that some of the other actors, who were asking for a raise, won’t be replaced. Downey Jr. had stated he wouldn’t re-sign without them.
• Sam Rockwell’s character of Justin Hammer from Iron Man 2 may appear.
• The Avengers 2 may feature a few other Marvel characters who could then receive their own films. Dr. Strange has been mentioned.
• Whedon has said that Tom Hiddleston’s Loki will not appear in the film, but Kevin Feige refused to comment on it. [7/25/13]
• Ms. Marvel, who is now known as Captain Marvel in the comics, may be introduced, and Whedon has confirmed that he would like to see more female Avengers.
• Other Marvel characters previously introduced, including Don Cheadle as War Machine and Ray Stevenson as Volstagg, may appear.
• Despite claims that Jeremy Renner would quit the role of Hawkeye or that he may be fired, both Renner and Hawkeye will appear in the sequel. [7/23/13]
• Whedon has confirmed that Hank Pym, the creator of Ultron in the comics and a member of the Avengers, will not appear.  [7/22/13]
• Even before starting work on the first film, Whedon hoped to see Ultron as the villain of the second film. [7/22/13]
• The teaser shown at Comic-Con features Iron Man’s mask being reformed into Ultron’s head. That seems to suggest that Tony Stark somehow factors in to Ultron’s creating. [7/25/13]
• Feige stated that one of the best things about the Avengers in the comics is the shifting roster, suggesting the team may change significantly over the sequels. [7/25/14]
• Whedon has promised a bigger role for the Black Widow. [7/25/13]
• Whedon is not planning to include Agent Coulson in the sequel, although that could change. [7/25/13]
• There is a chance an Avenger will die. Partly this stems from Whedon’s history of killing off characters. The director has joked about it, but he also claims that if there is a good reason (and it won’t interfere with Marvel’s other plans), it could happen [8/29/13]
• The teaser that sent fans into convulsions at ComicCon is now online (see it below). [10/14/13]
• Thomas Kretschmann has been cast as the Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. antagonist Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. [1/17/14]
• Anthony Mackie may appear as the Falcon in the film. [1/17/14]
• Paul Bettany has been cast as the Vision. Bettany voiced the character of J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark’s AI assistant in the Iron Man films. The casting seems to confirm that Vision will be created from J.A.R.V.I.S. In the comics Vision was created by Ultron, which would fit with what we know about the sequel. [2/7/14]
• Kretschmann filmed a quick scene that introduces the character in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The actor has claimed that he signed on for multiple Marvel films. [3/2/14]
• Korean actress Kim Soo Hyun has been cast in an undisclosed, but significant role. Marvel has claimed that revealing her role will constitute a “spoiler.” [3/7/14]
• The Hulk will face off against “Hulkbuster” armor, which has a distinct Iron Man flair to it. [3/19/14]
• Several images of the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Hawkeye in action have been released. [3/22/14]

Next Page: Ant-Man (July 21, 2015)

Ant-Man (July 17, 2015)

You can credit the birth of this film primarily to Edgar Wright, who was so adamant about wanting to make this movie that he created a short sizzle reel showing how it would look visually. The reaction was so strong that it isn’t just an Ant-Man film, it is Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man. It will also kick off Marvel’s Phase Three.

The story will show a different side of the Marvel Universe and a comedic take of the superhero genre. The plot is still being kept quiet, but it will feature both the original Hank Pym (played by Michael Douglas), and the current Ant-Man, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd).

• Wright has said that the film will have funny moments, but it won’t be a comedy. [7/22/13]
• Following a tweet from Simon Pegg pointing to an Ant-Man image, rumors about him playing the title character were everywhere. Pegg quickly replied and said his tweet was just a shout out to Wright, and he currently is not involved with the film. [8/17/13]
• Marvel has moved up the release of Ant-Man from November 6 to July 31. [9/10/13]
• Edgar Wright has released the image on the right featuring Ant-Man. [10/2/13]
• The filmmakers are also looking to cast a “30-ish” female love interest, possibly the future Wasp. [11/25/13]
• Rashida Jones and Bryce Dallas Howard have been mentioned for the part of the love interest. [1/14/14]
• Actor Michael Peña is in talks to appear in the film, reportedly as a villain. [1/17/14]
• The film may be set in two different time periods, with a younger Hank Pym active as Ant-Man during the Cold War, and Lang appearing in the modern day. [1/17/14]
• If the film does feature a Cold War setting, Peña is rumored to appear as a Castro-like antagonist.  [1/17/14]
• Ant-Man has been pushed up from July 31, 2015 to July 17, 2015. [1/24/14]
• Evangeline Lilly is in talks to take on the female lead in the film. [2/5/14]
• Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. [2/28/14]
• House of Cards actor Corey Stoll has been cast in an unnamed role. [3/25/14]
• Matt Gerald (G.I. Joe Retaliation, Red Dawn) has been cast as a bad guy, but no further details about his role have been revealed. [4/2/14]

Next Page: Captain America 3 (May 6, 2016)

Captain America 3 (May 6, 2016)

Beyond the fact that the film has been confirmed, we don’t know much about the third Captain America movie. Following early screenings of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Marvel was so encouraged by the reactions that it approached directors Anthony and Joe Russo about the possibility of coming back to helm the third film. The duo accepted, and hired Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor: The Dark World, and The Winter Soldier screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to write the sequel.

The film will star Chris Evans, who originally signed on for six pictures. Following the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron, which will mark his fourth appearance as Steve Rogers, he will then be contractually obligated to appear twice more (his cameo in Thor: The Dark World did not count towards his contract). The first of those two remaining appearances will be Captain America 3, meaning the third Avengers film would be Evans’ last obligated appearance. After that, he would be free to leave the role behind or re-sign. 

Although unconfirmed, both Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie will likely return. Samuel L. Jackson may return as well, but he has three pictures left on his nine picture deal with Marvel, and it hasn’t been announced what three films those are, or if he will return after that.

• Captain America 3 is currently scheduled to be released on the same day as Man of Steel 2. Marvel staked out the May 6, 2016 date for an undisclosed film long ago, but WB decided to challenge Marvel when it delayed the Superman follow-up from 2015 to 2016. Marvel recently confirmed that the date would be used for the third Captain America film. It may be a matter of who blinks first.

Next Page: Doctor Strange (TBA)

Doctor Strange (TBA)

A Doctor Strange film has been rumored to be in the works for years now, with dozens of names attached to the role. Back in January 2013 Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirmed that a Doctor Strange film would appear as part of Phase Three, but beyond that there hasn’t been much movement on it yet. That is slowly starting to change though, and as of February 2014, Marvel is actively looking for a director.

• All previous casting reports should be thrown out the window. Everyone form Johnny Depp to John Hamm has been mentioned for the role – and it may be that someone did discuss the project with them, but the film is not yet to the casting phase. A director will be named first, and then likely a script will be written before a lead is confirmed.
• Feige has stated that the lead role may go to a star, or  it might go to a relative unknown. According to him, “it just depends.”
• A Doctor Strange film is still on track for Phase Three, but it isn’t confirmed when it will film or be released. Another project that is further along in terms of casting and scripting may jump ahead.
• The name “Stephen Strange” was mentioned in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This was mainly just an Easter Egg for fans, but it does confirm the character’s existence in the universe (if there was any doubt).

Next Page: Random Marvel Film News

Random Marvel Film News and Rumors

• Marvel already staked out May 6, 2016, July 8, 2016, and May 5, 2017, although it didn’t initially say what films would appear on those days. The May 2016 date has since been confirmed for Captain America 3, but no word on what the July 2016 or May 2017 films will be.
• Robert Downey Jr. has confirmed that he will return for The Avengers 2 and 3, but he has yet to commit to Iron Man 4.
• Ryan Reynolds is still fighting for a Deadpool movie, and Bryan Singer has said there is a chance – although Deadpool will not appear in the upcoming X-Men film. [7/23/13]
• Rob Liefeld recently described the three minutes of Deadpool test footage shot by director Tim Miller. The proposed story would be a reboot, and not a continuation of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. (Thanks to our reader “Neil Duff” for pointing this out!) [7/23/13]
• Feige is planning on more Iron Man movies, but nothing is firm. [7/25/13]
• Mark Millar, who is now working on Fox’s Marvel films that consist of the X-Men and Fantastic Four properties, said that he expects the Fox films will combine characters, although he later said there were no firm plans to do so.  [8/19/13]
• Director/producer Louis D’Esposito claimed that Marvel is eyeing a solo film with a female lead. [9/6/13]
• James Mangold and Hugh Jackman are in negotiations to re-team for a third standalone Wolverine film. [11/7/13]
• Marvel has a roadmap through 2028. [4/4/14]
• A third Thor film will appear in Phase Three. [4/7/14]
• Brian K. Vaughn’s coming of age superhero comic The Runaways was rumored to be in development as far back as 2008, but in September 2013, the film’s screenwriter Drew Pearce claimed the movie was shelved in favor of The Avengers. Marvel hasn’t given up on the project yet though, but it would be Phase Three or later. [4/7/14]
• Feige has stated that as part of Marvel’s long term roadmap, they are looking at making solo films based on characters that were introduced in other films. [4/7/14]
• Some development on a standalone Black Widow film has begun, according to Feige. If that does lead to a film, it would be at some point in Phase Three or Phase Four. [4/7/14]

Next Page: Marvel TV Shows

Marvel TV Shows

Marvel has several TV shows on the way, beyond just the high profile Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. The recent deal between Marvel and Netflix will introduce four new Marvel characters to the combined Marvel universe, and a show based on the Captain America character of Peggy Carter is also in development.

The Marvel Defenders Project

The Marvel Defenders Project is part of an exclusive deal between the Disney owned Marvel and Netflix. The deal calls for four new 13 episode shows based on Marvel characters, as well as one four to eight episode mini-series titled tentatively The Defenders that combines them all. The deal calls for 60 episodes to be split among the five properties, so there is some flexibility on the number of episodes in each show. The entire project will cost $200 million, which averages out to over $3.3 million per episode (although the mini-series would likely cost a bit more per episode). That puts the production value right on par with some of the biggest shows on TV today. The majority of the episodes will be shot in New York, which is also where the shows will be set. Marvel has yet to confirm how, or even if, the shows will connect to to the larger Marvel universe, but it seems fairly certain that they will all be connected, even if there are no specific crossovers planned.

The project will be overseen by comic writer and Marvel Studios TV head Jeph Loeb. It hasn’t been confirmed what format Netflix will use when it comes to releasing the episodes, but there is nothing to suggest that the company will move away from its pattern of releasing all the episodes at once. Loeb did confirm the order of release though: Daredevil will air first, followed by Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and then The Defenders.

No casting news has been revealed yet, but with the shows beginning in 2015, that should come soon. We’ll update each section individually with news and rumors when they become available.

Daredevil

The first of the four planned individual shows will be based on Daredevil, aka the Man Without Fear. Following 20th Century Fox’s attempt to bring the character to life via Ben Affleck, the studio attempted to get a sequel or a reboot off the ground in order to ensure that it held on to the rights. One of the contractual stipulations between Marvel and Fox is that Fox must be in production on the project in question before a set date, or it reverts back to Marvel. With Fantastic Four and X-Men films going strong neither franchise is likely to switch hands soon, but Daredevil is now the property of Marvel following Fox’s failure to get production around it going.

Frequent J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon collaborator Drew Goddard has been named as the showrunner, and the series is set to debut in 2015. A filming schedule has been announced, so casting news should come soon.

• Although all casting news is simply rumor at this point, there are reports that Marvel is pursuing Dexter Star Michael C. Hall for the role of Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil. Hall recently concluded work on Dexter, and soon after stated that he has no interest in getting involved with another potentially long-running series though. Prior to his 96 episode run on Dexter, Hall spent four years and appeared in 96 episodes of Six Feet Under. 
• Kevin Feige confirmed that Marvel also regained the rights to the character of Elektra when it took back Daredevil. He went on to say he wasn’t sure about Kingpin, but thought the character could be shared in the same way Quicksilver is being shared between Marvel and Fox.

Jessica Jones

The second show to be released will be Jessica Jones, the superhero turned detective. Not much is known yet about this show, not even how Jones will be portrayed. In the comics she was known under several superhero names before she lost her powers and went on to become a private detective.

The show will be run by Melissa Rosenberg, who tried to bring the character to the small screen as far back as 2010 under the name AKA Jessica Jones. When Marvel showed interest, they brought Rosenberg along as part of the deal. Rosenberg recently served as an executive producer for Dexter, and before that she co-produced Love Monkey and The O.C. She is perhaps best known as writer of the Twilight screenplays.

Iron Fist

Iron Fist was first mentioned as a possible candidate for a feature film treatment as far back as 2000. It went so far as to cast Ray Park in the lead role, and pre-production began with Kirk Wong hired to direct. Then in 2002 Wong left the project, and despite several attempts to save it, the film fell apart. The TV show would be a fresh take on the character, but no word on a showrunner yet.

Luke Cage

The final show before The Defenders mini-series would be based on Luke Cage, who has become one of the more prominent characters in the Marvel universe following the 2006-2007 storyline “Civil War,” which had Cage head up the “New Avengers.” Before that though, Cage’s story began after he was sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. In exchange for a reduced sentence, Cage – whose real name is Carl Lucas – agreed to take part in an experiment designed to replicate the Captain America super soldier serum. It worked, but also made him the target of those that experimented on him.

A showrunner has yet to be hired, and no release date has been given. The odds are that the show will be released in 2016.

• The recent Marvel One-Shot Hail to the King, which appeared on the Thor: The Dark World home media release, was set in Seagate Prison. In the comics, Seagate is where Cage was incarcerated and experimented on.

The Defenders

The Defenders will be released after the four previous shows all air. It will combine the four heroes into one group, and they will act under the name The Defenders. Beyond that, very little is known.

Peggy Carter

In September 2013, ABC confirmed that it was considering a new Marvel spin-off series set in the late 40s and/or early 50s starring the character of Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell. The character first appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger, and then went on to star in the Marvel One-Shot Agent Carter. In the short film it was revealed that Carter and Tony Stark’s father Howard helped to found S.H.I.E.L.D. The TV show would likely revolve around that.

Tara Butlers and Michele Fazekas have been hired as showrunners, and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have been hired to script the pilot.

• Atwell made a surprise cameo in The Winter Soldier, reprising her role as Peggy Carter, where she mentioned her time in S.H.I.E.L.D. and an unnamed husband.

Check out our look at all the upcoming DC films, both rumored and confirmed. 

(See any rumors on the list that have already been refuted? Know of some we missed? Let us know in the comments below).

This article was original published on July 6, 2013 and has been updated regularly since.